THese words of my Text have a spe­cial dependence upon the words foregoing in the Chapter;The occasion of the words in the Text laid open. for in the beginning of the Chapter you shall find that the Apostles and the Church were all with one accord in one place, [Page 2] when the Day of Pentecost was fully come; And according to the promise that Jesus Christ com­manded them, to wait for, and that John had foretold of, That one should come after him, that should baptize with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, the which was at this time fulfilled, for as the Author of the Acts here relates, Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a Rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the House where they were sit­ting, and there appeared unto them Cloven Tongues, like as of fire, and it sate upon each of them, And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them ut­terance. Now this I understand to be the Bap­tism which John speaks of viz. that of the Holy Ghost, and of fire, which Christ should dis­pense, as you may see was extraordinary, and upon special occasion communicated to the A­postles, they being now to give testimony of Christs Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. The Lord in order to this work communicates to them the extraordinary Gifts of the holy Ghost, and that in an extraordinary manner; For here was outward signs, which were cloven Tongues of fire resting on them; and here was also the Holy Ghost with the extraordinary Effects of it, as the inward things signified by the outward sign, all which was (I understand) extraordinary, for the fitting of these Apostles to that extraor­dinary work which God had to do by them.

First, They were to be eye-witnesses of Christs Majestie in the flesh.

[Page 3]Secondly,The Reasons why the Holy Ghost descen­ded in an ex­traordinary manner upon the Apostles. They were to be Master-Builders to lay a Foundation, which all after Ministers, to the end of the World, were to build on, they being Penmen of Scripture.

Thirdly, They were now to overthrow all the Jewish Worship, and all the Mosaical Ad­ministrations, put to an end by Christs Death; and to furnish them to this extraordinary work, which Christ, as an effect of his Session at the right hand of God, pours down these gifts upon them, as beforementioned; this being noised abroad, how they spake with other Tongues, the multitude came together, wondring at them, and some thought they had been drunk, but Peter standing up with the eleven, began to lift up his voice to teach them.

And first,The Contents of Peters Ser­mon to the Jews upon the descent of the Holy Ghost. He proves by Scripture that these gifts of the Holy Ghost were formerly promi­sed by the Lord, and, as an effect of his Ascensi­on▪ now given to them; and he endeavours in this Sermon preached to prove,

First, That Jesus was the Christ, a man appro­ved of God by Miracles and Signs, that God did work by him, amongst them.

Secondly, He endeavours to prove by Scrip­ture, that he did suffer and dy according to the Counsel and Will of God.

Thirdly, That he did rise again from the Dead, which he from Scripture doth ju­stifie.

And that in the fourth place, God had ex­alted him by his right hand to be both Lord and [Page 4] Christ, and he proves that, by the visible gifts of the Holy Ghost, which they did see and hear; and lest they should not understand who he meant, he tells them in the verse before my Text, That it was that same Jesus which they had crucified, that God had made Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and Brethren, what shall we do?

The benefit of preaching the Gospel.Whence observe from the text, That preach­ing, and hearing the Gospel preached, is a spe­cial means to convert Souls, as appears when Peter preached and cleerly held forth, that he whom they had crucified and slain was now to be Lord and Judge, and exalted to that Dignity by God the Father; When they heard this they were pricked in their Hearts.

What is the beginning of true Conversi­on.In the second place, We may observe from hence, that true conversion begins with a prick in the heart.

Thirdly, They, when wrought upon and pric­ked in their hearts, said to Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and Brethren what shall we do? How they that begin to re­ceive the sav­ing light, are affected both towards it, & them that hold it forth.

Whence in the third place observe, That it is the disposition of such that have the beginning of saving light, to desire more, and that from them whom God hath spoken to their Souls by.

Obedience accompanieth true conversi­on.Fourthly, That which they do earnestly en­quire after is, what shall we do? which respects [Page 5] obedience; they believing Christ to be a Lord as well as a Saviour, know that he must be sub­mitted to, therefore said they, What shall we do?

Whence we observe, That a true converted soul is an obedient Soul.

In verse 38. the answer of Peter to them is in these words, Repent, and be baptized every one of you, from whence we do observe further,All called to Repentance by the Gospel. that where the Gospel is preached, all men are called to repent.

Lastly,Whosoever believes and repents ought to be baptiz­ed. That it is the duty of every man that believes and repents, to be baptized.

Now this last observation of the text is that which I shall at present speak to for the satisfa­ction of such Souls that may at present be doubt­full of this truth; and for the confirming such souls as do already believe it.

Now for the better and more clear speaking to this point in hand I shall explain what this Ordinance of Baptism is; And that in four things,The Ordi­nance of Bap­tism explain­ed. which will more cleerly appear if we examine the Commission that Christ gives his Disciples in Mat. 28.19, 20. where we find v. 16. that the eleven Disciples were sent by Christ, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him, v. 18. & v. 19. Christ saith, Go ye therefore and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you, From whence you may ob­serve four things contained in this Commission, essential to this Ordinance of Baptism; Here [Page 6] is first the Ministery,The four Es­sentials of Baptism. secondly the Form, thirdly the Name into which, and fourthly the Sub­jects.

First, The Ministers that must dispense this Ordinance, and that is preaching Disciples, and so in the 16. verse are the eleven denominated, then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, and Jesus (in verse 18.) came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in Hea­ven and Earth; Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them.

Who a lawful Minister of Baptism.Whence you may observe, that the persons bid to go are Disciples enabled to teach the do­ctrine of the Gospel for the conversion of souls to faith, and repentance; for it is clear, That they that are bid to teach; are bid to baptize also; so that from this Commission I gather, that a dis­ciple enabled to bring down God to a soul, and to bring a soul again up to God, is a lawful Mi­nister of Baptism; for that is the tenour of the New Covenant, Heb. 8.10. I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people; and I am my belo­veds, and my beloved is mine, Canticles c. 3. so that as God in Christ is to be opened, and that in all the fundamental Doctrines of faith for mans salvation, so is the souls conformity to God to be preached, as the souls duty to God again; so that where God hath furnished a Mini­ster with abilities from himself to declare the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance, to conversi­on, and having converted that soul, is furni­shed with the knowledge of God to teach to [Page 7] this soul all the fundamental Ordinances, accor­ding to the Commission which saith, Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you; It is without doubt that this is a justifiable Mi­nister sent from the Lord according to the Com­mission. But though a man should be able to preach the doctrine of Faith, and that ably for the conversion of souls unto that faith, yet be­ing destitute of the true knowledge of the do­ctrine of Baptism, and how it ought to be dis­pensed, to be sure, this man is not a justifiable Minister according to the Commission, because he is ignorant of his Commission, that when he hath converted souls to the faith, neither knows how to discover to these men the funda­mental Ordinances of God, neither can disco­ver to them the evil of those superstitious pra­ctices, which they have been nursed up in by the Traditions of their Fathers.

Yet notwithstanding I dare not say, but so far as they have a gift they are warranted to ad­minister the same from the first of Peter 4 10. who saith, Let every one as he hath received the gift Minister, and so it was lawful for any Chri­stian man in that sense to administer such gifts which God hath bestowed on them.

But sure it is, That these that are utterly un­acquainted how to dispense the Ordinance of Baptism, were never sent of God to dispense it, That instead of dipping do sprinkle, and in­stead of the true subject A Beleever, dispense it upon a carnal ignorant child; and instead of do­ing [Page 8] it into the Name of Father, Son and Holy-Ghost, do sprinkle them at the naming of so ma­ny words only.

The true form of Baptism.In the second place, the true form of Baptism is commanded of the Lord Jesus by way of dip­ping, and, as it were, by drowning, overwhel­ming, or burying in Water, and not by sprink­ling with water, as appears many waies.

First, In that although there be frequent men­tion made of that appointment of Christ, in his last Will and Testament, yet it is never expres­sed in the word, that may be rendred Rantism or Sprinkling, but by the word that is rendred Baptism or Dipping.

Secondly, In that the word by which it is so frequently expressed, doth in proper English signify to Dip, to plunge under water, and as it were to drown them, so as with safety the par­ty (as to the manner) may be drowned again and again.

See the instance of Naaman, who dipped him­self seven times in Jordan, 2 Kings 5.14. To this sense of the word (at least in this place) both the Greek, Latine, and English Churches agree, as is affirmed by able Authors.

Thirdly, In that the phrase in which there is mention made of such an appointment of Christ is affirmed, doth necessarily import such a thing; and therefore when mention is made of bap­tizing, which is commonly translated in, or into, suits with Dipping, and not that Preposition, which signifies with, and so suits with Sprinkling.

[Page 9]And therefore it may be as well rendred, I baptize you in Water, and he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit, Mark 1.8. So it is ren­dred, John did baptize in the Wilderness, and in the River of Jordan, ver. 4, 5. or that John was in the Spirit on the Lords day, Rev. 1.10. And they were baptized in the Cloud, and in the Sea, 1 Corinth. 10. and [...]. It may as well be rendred, I baptize you, or dip you into Water, as it is rendred, they were casting a Net into the Sea, Mark 1.16. for which the words are affirm­ed to be the same, and it would be too impro­per a Speech to say, John did baptize with the Wilderness, and they were casting a net with the Sea.

Fourthly, That this appointment of Christ, is by way of Dipping, and not sprinkling, ap­pears.

In that for the resemblance and likeness here­unto the Israelites, passing under the Cloud, and in the Sea, where the Egyptians, that were their Lords and Commanders, their Pursuers and E­nemies, that sought their destruction, were drowned, left behind, and seen no more, is by the Holy Spirit, called a Baptism, 1 Cor. 10.2. They were baptized in the Cloud.

Where observe, It is not here rendred with the Cloud, and with the Sea, as in the other place; Mark 1.8. with Water, because it sutes with sprinkling, although the word be the same; But in the Cloud, and in the Sea, which sutes with Dipping or Over-whelming, and so [Page 10] with the appointment of Christ; they passing through the midst of the Red, or bloody Sea, on dry land, which stood on both sides as a Wall, and being under the Cloud as men (in a carnal eye) overwhelmed and drowned, and yet truly saved, and safe from their Enemies.

Fifthly, That this appointment of Christ, was not by sprinkling, but by dipping or putting the person into, or under Water, appears by Philips baptizing the Eunuch, It is said, They went both down into the Water; both Philip the bap­tizer, and the Eunuch, that was the person, to be baptized; and being there in the water, Philip baptized or dipped him in that water, as John did Jesus in the River of Jordan.

And it is said, They descended, or went down into the water, so they ascended or went straight way up, or out of the water, see for this Acts 8.38, 39. Mat. 3.16. Mark the expression, And Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the Water, therefore he had been down in the water.

Sixthly, That this appointment of Christ, was not by sprinkling, but by dipping, or as it were a drowning, appears, in that John the Baptizer (his work being to baptize) remains in the Wilderness by the River of Jordan, and afterwards in Enon, near Salem, and the reason that is rendred, by the Spirit of the Lord, why he abode there, was, because there was much water, which need not have been, if that appointment could have been performed by [Page 11] sprinkling and not by dipping, See Luke 3.2, 3. John 3. & 23.

Seventhly, That this appointment of Christ was not to be performed by sprinkling, but by dipping, appears from the nature of the Ordi­nance it self; for it is such an Ordinance as whereby the person that submitteth thereto, doth visibly put on Christ Jesus the Lord, and is hereby visibly planted into his Death, holding forth therein a lively similitude and likeness unto his Death, whereby only through faith, he now professeth he hath escaped death, and is in hopes to obtain life everlasting, and so to have fellow­ship with him in his Death, and to reckon him­self dead with him to sin, Sathan, the Law, and the Curse, See Gal. 3.27. Rom. 6.2, 3, 5, 7. & 9. 1 Cor. 15.29.

But the planting of a person into the likenesse of death, is no way resembled by sprinkling; but by dipping, it is lively set forth and demonstrat­ed.

Eighthly, This appointment of Christs bap­tism, is an Ordinance whereby the person that submitteth thereto, doth hereby visibly and clearly resemble the burial of Christ, and his being buried, in respect of the old man, the former Lusts and Corruptions (like the Egypti­ans) to be taken away and seen no more, See Rom. 6.4, 6. Col. 2.12. But sprinkling doth no way lively resemble the Burial of Christ, or the person being buried with him, as Dipping doth.

[Page 12]Ninthly, This appointment of Christs bap­tism is an Ordinance, whereby the person that submitteth thereto, doth visibly and lively hold forth herein the Resurrection of Christ, declares him, whose life was taken away from the earth, to be alive again, who although he dyed and was buried, yet was not left in the grave to see corruption, but was raised again, and behold he liveth for evermore.

And as hereby he holds forth the Resurrection of Christ, so doth he also his own, being planted in the likeness thereof, so as to reckon himself to be in Soul and Spirit, quickned and risen with Christ, from henceforth to live unto God the Fountain of Life, and Christ Jesus the Lord, who dyed for him, and rose again, and so to walk in newness of life in this present world, being also begot into a lively hope, that in the world to come, he shall be raised and quickned both in soul and body, to a life everlasting, See Rom. 6.4, 5, 8, 11. Acts 8.33, 35, 36. Col. 2.12. 1 Cor. 15.29. 1 Pet. 1.3.

But sprinkling doth no way lively resemble the resurrection of Christ, or the Soul or bodies rising, or being raised by him, as the way of dip­ping doth.

Therefore this appointment of Christ, was and still is to be performed by way of dipping or put­ting the person into, or under the water, and not by sprinkling.

Tenthly, Dipping doth hold forth a confor­mity to Christ in his sufferings and afflictions, as [Page 13] Christ saith, I have a Baptism; and how am I streightned until it be accomplished, meaning his suf­ferings.

Now one end of Baptism is, to represent Christs Sufferings, and our Sufferings with him, which is in a lively manner set out by dipping into water, and therefore when the Saints do ex­press their afflictions, they do set them forth by being in the depths, or in the deep waters, as David in Psalm 130. Out of the depths have I cryed unto the Lord, meaning deep afflictions, and God saith in Isaiah 43.2. When thou passest through the Waters, they shall not overflow thee, meaning affli­ction, and therefore a believer, is to be dipped and plunged, all over into the River or water, to hold forth, That now he must resolve to take up the Cross of Christ and suffer; and not only so, but this being raised and delivered out of the water again by the hands of the Mini­ster, doth hold forth, that so shall such believ­ing souls be saved, and delivered from all their afflictions, as in Psal. 34.17. Many are the Affli­ctions of the righteous, but God shall deliver them out of all.

And that this doth sign or signify our salvati­on, appears, in 1 Pet. 3.21 the like figure wher­unto Baptism doth now save us and Mark 16.16. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; So that Baptism is to sign, and confirm signally our Sufferings and Afflictions with Christ, so Salva­tion or Deliverance from them all, the one in dipping and plunging him in Water, the other in Raising him out again.

[Page 14] Into whose name Baptism is administredThe third thing that is essential in this Ordi­nance of Baptism, which I shall speak to, will be what is meant by name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Command is, That the Mini­nister must dip them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the which the Lord Jesus commanding must be therefore essential to this Ordinance, I shall therefore endeavour to shew you what is meant by name here.

That by which Father, Son, and Spirit are made known, as a man is by his Name, that is hereto be understood, by the name Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we know the Gospel doth hold forth one God, yet distinquished into Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the name here is to be un­derstood, that Gospel that doth so set forth God and describe him as the Subject Matter of our Faith, Acts 9.15. But the Lord said unto Ananias, Go thy way, for he is a chosen Vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and Chil­dren of Israel, for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake.

Now Name in this place, and in the Commis­sion is to be understood, that heavenly mystery of the Gospel, in which God is discovered and made known, as a man by his name.

One part of the Gospel mystery consists of a Discovery of the name of the Father, by which he is distinquishably made known from the Son and Spirit, and that in these particulars.

First, In ordaining the Son, 1 Pet. 1.18. in choosing and electing the Son, Isaiah 28.16. [Page 15] with 1 Pet. 2.5. in sending the Son, Gal. 4.4. John 3.16, 17, in sealing the Son, John 6.27. in pro­mising the Son, Isaiah 9.6. in bruising the Son and putting him to grief, Isaiah 53. and laying all our iniquities upon the Son, and to justify and freely accept such as believe in the Son. This I understand is the Name of the Father.

And by the Sons Name is to be understood, that by which he makes known himself to the Sons and Daughters of men, as to take Flesh, Heb. 2.14. Rom. 9.5. & 1.3. He kept the Law in order to dy, As that just one, or as a Lamb without spot, and his making his Soul an offering for sin, as a perfect offering for the sins and transgressions of his people, Heb. 10.12, 14. Isa. 53. and that he did not only dy for our Sins, but rose again for our Justification, Rom. 4.25. and ascended into Heaven, and makes intercession for us, Heb. 2.25. And pours down the Spirit and gives gifts unto men, Zach. 12.10. Ephes. 4.10, 11, 12. all this the Son makes himself known by as by a name, distinguishably from the Father, and the Spi­rit.

And in the last place, the Spirit is made known in the Gospel, as that which in the first place convinceth the world of sin, John 16.8. and pricks men in their hearts with a sense of sin, and the wrath of God due for sin, Acts 2.37. & 29. And the work of the Spirit, by which that is made known, Is the revealing of the Father, and the Son, and those great Mysteries unto the soul of a poor convicted Sinner, for as Christ [Page 16] saith, the Spirit of God shall lead you into all truth, it shall take of mine, and shew it to you, John 16. and so no man doth understand, the things of a man, but the Spirit of a man, that is within him; So none shall or can understand the things of God, but by the Spirit of God; for the Spirit of God searcheth out all things, even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.9, 10. The Spirit doth not only discover mans misery, and his lost estate by reason of sin, but discovers a re­medy which lies in the great love of God in Christ (as before mentioned) and worketh in the heart, true faith and repentance, disposing the heart to obedience, This is the proper work or office of the Spirit, by which he is distinguishably known from the Father and the Son.

And now, when the Soul shall come to the Preacher, and make known to him, that the Spirit hath experimentally made known unto him his lost and damnable estate by sin, and that he same Spirit hath discovered unto him, the great love of God the Father, in the gift of Christ, to be a propitiation for sin, as one dying for the chief of Sinners, and that the Spirit of God hath made known all this to him, and hath wrought faith in his heart to believe it, and hath changed his heart from a Course of sin, to re­newed obedience; for no soul can declare to a Mi­nister the true work of Conversion, but he must in so doing discover his knowledge of the work of the Father, Son and Spirit, and into this doth the Minister baptize him, as in the name of the [Page 17] Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And thus much for these three particulars.

In the fourth place,The sub [...]ect of Baptism. we shall now come to the Subject that must be baptized, and that (as you have heard) is one that is taught, Teach all Nations, baptizing them; and as my Text saith, Repent, and be baptized every one of you, which doth hold forth the person baptized to be a taught and repentant person.

But seeing the main thing in question hath al­waies seemed to be the Subject of Baptism, who it is that is to be baptized; this I shall therefore most insist upon, wherein I shall endeavour to make plain to you, first (as I say) that he is to be a believer, a penitent person, as appears Mark 16.16. Go preach the Gospel to every Creature, he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved, where observe,

That believing the Gospel is to go before bap­tizing, and Matthew 28.19. Teach all Nations, Faith and Re­pentance go before bap­tism. baptizing or dipping them? What them? them that are taught or made Disciples by teaching, and in my Text you find, that Peter after Christ had poured down the Spirit upon them doth, (by that authority received from heaven) when he had converted those Jews, command every one of them, to be baptized or dipped; Repent and be baptized every one of you into the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins, and so in like manner you shall find Cornelius his fa­mily, by Peter commanded to be baptized, Acts [...]0.48. for saith he to the six brethren that were [Page 18] with him, How shall we forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we?

And he by the great authority which (as an extraordinary Apostle) he had from Heaven, commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. So we find Ananias in a spe­cial manner sent to the Apostle Paul at his first conversion to the faith, as Acts 22.16. where he also by the authority received from Christ in verse the 16. saith, And now Paul why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, for the washing away of thy sins in calling upon the name of the Lord: where you see the express command of God, enjoyn­ing him (upon his Conversion) to be baptized.

And in the next place, As God hath com­manded his Ministers to baptize or dip Belie­vers only, and as his Ministers (by virtue of that authority from him) have left standing Laws, and commands upon Disciples only to be bapti­zed, so we find, that they did practice that way and that only; of baptizing such as believed and repented, Acts 2.40, 41, 42. So many as glad­ly received the word, were baptized, and the same day there were added to the Church, three thousand souls, And they continued in the Apostles Doctrine, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread, and Prayer.

VVhence you may observe the practice of the Apostles that were guided by the infallible gifts of the Spirit, that first they converted before they baptized.

In like manner you shlla find in Acts 8.12, 13. [Page 19] where Philip was preaching to the people in Sa­maria, But when they believed (he preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both Men and Women, Then Simon himself believed al­so; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered. So that you see this was the continued course of Christs Messengers sent by him.

First, They converted men by preaching, and then baptized them, In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, or in the name of the Lord Jesus, wherein the name of the Fa­ther and Spirit are included, when his name is only mentioned. In like manner you shall find in the same Chap. that Philip (by the Spirit of the Lord, being directed to the Eunuch that did belong to Candace the Queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her Treasure, and had been at Jerusalem for to worship, was re­turning, and reading Isaiah the Prophet, then Philip joined himself to his Chariot, and upon some discourse together, he from the aforesaid Scripture, preached unto him Jesus, in Acts 8.32, &c. And as they went on their way they came to a certain Water, and the Eunuch said, See, here is Water, what hindereth me to be baptized? Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart it is lawful, (implying it was unlawful for a man (not belie­ving) to be baptized, And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and he commanded the Chariot o stand still, and they went [Page 20] both down into the Water, both Philip and the Eu­nuch, and he baptized him, and when they were come out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that the Eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.

From all these words you may observe, That Philip is said to preach Christ unto this man, and upon his comming to the water he said, What lets?Believers should offer themselves to be baptized. where you see, It is the duty of such as believe to offer themselves to be baptized, and that there is no let or hinderance to the Ordi­nance of Baptism but unbelief, and therefore saith he, If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest, (or it is lawful, as the word more proper­ly may be read) plainly holding forth, that all both young and old, that did not believe, it was unlawful for them to be baptized.

And you shall find several families also bapti­zed upon their being converted, which many (through ignorance and want of taking notice of what the Scripture speaks) say, it is probable, they had some Infants in them.

But to prevent mistakes in the minds of any that so think, I shall prove, That these families were all converted Disciples so as to believe the Gospel; as for instance, First the Family of Lydia, Acts 16.14, 15. And a certain women na­med Lydia, a Seller of Purple, of the City Thiaty­ra (which worshipped God) heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul, and when she was bap­tized, and her houshold, she besought us, saying, [Page 21] If ye judge me faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide, and she constrained us.

Now here in this Text,Lydia and her houshold to­gether con­verted. Lydia is only menti­oned as to have been converted, no mention made, what her houshold was, only that they were baptized, but in the last verse, viz. the 40. of that Chapter, It is said, That when Paul and Sylas were put out of the Gaolers house, they went and entered into the house of Lydia, and when they had seen the Brethren they comforted them and departed, where you may clearly see, That Lydia's house consisted of Brethren, capa­ble of being visited and comforted by Paul and Sylas, as well as Lydia whose houshold they were.

And also in the same Chapter you have men­tion made of the Gaoler and his Houshold,The Gaoler and his hous­hold together converted. all which were baptized in the 31, 32, 33, and 34. Verses, In which place you shall upon reading find, this to be true, that they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house, and verse 34. He set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Where it is plain, That the whole houshold of the Gaoler heard the word of God, and re­joiced, and believed as well as the Gaoler, and were all baptized, Which is a clear proof, that such hearing the word of God, and believing ought, and they only, to be baptized.

And this will appear further by the house of Stephanus, comparing the 1 Cor. 11▪6.Stephanus and his houshold together con­verted. with the 16. chap. and the 15. verse of the same Epistle, [Page 22] where in the one place it is said, that Paul bap­tized the houshold of Stephanus, in the last place he speaketh thus, I beseech you Brethren, Ye know the House of Stephanus, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted them­selves to the Ministery of the Saints, That you sub­mit your selves unto such, and to every one that hel­peth with us and laboureth.

Where you see in one and the same Epistle (as he saith) he baptizeth this houshold, so he af­firms they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they were Ministers, and addicted themselves to the Ministring unto Saints, they did as the Text notes, labour, and he would have the Church submit themselves unto such, therefore they were not babes, or little infants, but all true Converts, believing and penitent persons.

And in Acts 18.8. for the further clearing of this Matter in hand, And Crispus the Chief Ruler of the Synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians believed, and were baptized: So that you see what a Catalogue of clear examples you have to confirm unto us, which way those infallible Apostles, both taught and practized, according to the great Commission given them, by the Authority of Christ from Heaven, To preach first the Gos­pel to every Creature, and he that believeth and is baptized, should be saved, and that they should make disciples through teaching, dipping them into the name of the Father, Son and Ho­ly Ghost; And withall you see both Commands [Page 23] as you have heard, and plentiful examples for baptizing believers. But not the least colour or shew of any ground for sprinkling of Infants.

Now by the way, let me say, what a sad thing therefore is this, that such a world of People (from Custome and Tradition) run headlong after this Idol of mans invention?

But this Solemn Ordinance which you have heard, lies clearly as a Duty under the express Law of Christ to every one that believeth, this they sleight and contemn, as enemies to the same, therefore let such souls know, That as Christ is a King, So this is one of his great Laws, and a fundamental ordinance of the Gos­pel unto which he calls all believing and peni­tent persons, that are professed subjects to him to be obedient to.

Now therefore let such tender souls who have the fear of God in them, lay this to heart.

First,The Ordi­nance of bap­tism long neglected, and an Idol set in its room. That this Solemn Ordinance for many hundred years, hath been neither preached, nor practised, by abundance of such which (in Charity) we cannot but judge, might have many good things found in them.

But here lyes that which makes the case sad and lamentable, that in the room of this pre­cious Ordinance of God (which Christ confir­med by his blood) should be set up, that Idol of sprinkling of Carnal poor Infants, for doubt­less, if there be an Idol now practised in the world, or set up amongst men, this must needs be one, For I have learned, with others of the [Page 24] Saints of God, this to be an Idol, either the worshipping of a false God, or the true God in a false manner, which I might largely insist upon to prove from Scripture.

Now though this be not an Idol of the first kind, it is without doubt an Idol of the second. It is setting up mans Invention, instead of Gods solemn Ordinance, which is a sin, for which God plagued the people in Levit 10. and 1, 2. It is an Image of true Baptism set up in the room of it, but not the same, and that in all the before mentioned essentials, A false Admi­nistrator, ignorant of the true nature of the Or­dinance, instead of a true Minister; Sprinkling instead of dipping; A carnal infant instead of a true believing man or woman; And all this done at the naming of so many words only; VVhereas the Commission injoins, that they should dip them, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. So that there is in this christening of Children, nothing of Gods ap­pointment or of what he commanded, viz. The Minister wrong, the Subject wrong. the Form wrong, and also the naming of so many w [...]rds only instead of dipping into the name of the Fa­ther. Son and Holy Ghost, VVhereas the Com­mission injoins, the true Minister should dip a Disciple into the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Now let any Soul seriously judge? whether God can own that which hath nothing of his own appointment or Commands, but in every particular contrary thereunto.

[Page 25]But seeing the main thing usually controver­ted is about the Subject (whether Infant or Be­liever) I shall leave what I have said,The Papists do hold that the Ordi­nance of bap­tism doth con­vey grace by the very work done, which is so generally confuted by all Protestant Authors, that I think it not worth my time to speak to that grosse Error. conclu­ding the Administration upon Children cor­rupt in all the three foresaid heads as well as in the last, and shall speak of the last only, viz. That carnal children are not lawful Subjects of baptism, and shall begin to speak to the main Argument or ground, usually pleaded by all except Papists, for Childrens baptism, and that is,

Though there be no command nor example, yet there is a consequence, viz. the Covenant of life being made to Believers, and their seed comming out of their loins, Baptism, being an Ordinance of that Covenant, doth also belong to them.

Now I shall endeavour to prove the falseness and erroneousness of this Consequence.The Cove­nant of life not made to the seed of Be­lievers as co­ming out of their loins, & therefore the baptism of in­fants drawn thence by a false conse­quence. That it cannot be of God, my first ground is, because it doth oppose it self to the express Laws, and Commands of the New Testament; and what­soever consequence men do draw from Scrip­ture, that crosseth the plain Commands of God (to be sure) cannot be of God, but such conse­quence must needs be (according to Scripture light) of Satan, or at the best, from the vision of a mans own heart.

Now this I would have you seriously to take notice of, That baptism of Believers, is a So­lemn Ordinance of the new Testament, enjoin­ed by divers special commands, and incouraged [Page 26] with promises of remission of sins and salvation on the right performance of the same.

Now for any man to force a Consequence that shall oppose it self against so solemn an or­dinance cannot be of God, because God cannot speak that which is contrary to himself or to his own commands, As for instance:

When Christ began to teach to his Disciples, that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the Elders, and chief Priests and Scribes, and be killed, and the third day rise, He spake that saying openly, and Peter took him and began to rebuke him, but he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me Satan. From whence we may observe,

That whatsoever consequence or Argument any man shall seem to inforce (though preten­ding Scripture for the same) that oppose them­selves against duty, or do hinder the servants of God therein I may say of such Consequences, and such Arguments, G [...]t thee behind me Sa­tan, thou art an offence unro me: Its clear, That Christ concludes those Arguments and perswa­sions, whatsoever they be that do tend to the hin­derance of any solemn duty or Ordinance of God, they are of the Devil, Get thee behind me Satan.

Therefore all those Books and Arguments set out for the maintenance of Childrens Baptism grounded upon this Consequence, opposing themselves against duty, as you have heard, which is,

[Page 27]That every penitent or believing person ought to be baptized.

Now the whole tendency of those Books be­ing to oppose the practic [...] of the same, and to hinder it; I may say of them as Christ said be­fore, &c For upon this ground we may con­clude all those Discourses not to be of God, I shall therefore leave what is said to you, serious­ly to weigh, whether or no this is not an errone­ous consequence.

But in the next place, let us come nearer to examine this consequence, both in its self, and the grounds from whence it is drawn.

The grounds of this Consequence is, That the Covenant of Grace, belongs to believers Chil­dren, the consequence is therefore Baptism, be­ing an Ordinance of that Covenant must needs belong to believers children, in which two lyes our whole business, for the grounds of this con­sequence, is brought the Covenant of Circum­cision, that belonging to Abraham and his seed after him in their generation, Gen. 17.7. and 10. to 14.

From hence it is gathered, That the Cove­nant of Grace, viz. of eternal life, belongs to believers and their seed born of their body, For the Covenant God made to Abraham and his off-spring, viz. the Covenant of Circumcision belonging to Abraham and his seed in their Ge­neration, therefore Circumcision the sign of the Covenant belonged to them, so the New Cove­nant now belongs to believing Gentiles and their seed.

[Page 28]Baptism being an Ordinance of that Cove­nant, belongs also to believing Gentiles, and their seed, this being the onely and alone foun­dation ground of all those (except Papists) for their Rantizing or Sprinkling of Children.

We shall endeavour to prove this ground (from whence this consequence flows) to be so far from being the truth, that it is an error, and yea such an error, that if it were maintained with all those errors, that naturally must needs be defended as consequences of this opinion, it would shake the foundations of the Gospel, But that I may with as much clear satisfaction inform others as God had clearly convinced my own soul of the truth of this; I shall propound this method to be handled.

First, then I shall make it appear to you, That there is two Covenants held forth in Scrip­ture, the one a Covenant of Grace, and the o­ther a Covenant of Works, or an absolute Co­venant, and a Conditional Covenant.

Secondly, I shall prove, that the Covenant of Circumcision was no Covenant of eternal life, but a Conditional Covenant, a Covenant of Works.

Thirdly, I shall prove, that none but believ­ers ever had; or shall have right to the Cove­nant of Grace.

Fourthly, I shall endeavour to answer such Scriptures (especially those in the New Testa­ment) that are usually alleged for defence of a Covenant of life in the flesh.

[Page 29]To the first, That there is two Covenants mentioned in Scripture, is very plain, The one a Covenant of eternal life, the other a Co­venant of works,Two Cove­nants, the one of Works, the other of Grace or the one the Old, the other the New. in which eternal life was not conveyed or given, as appears in Jeremiah 31.32, 33, 34. But behold the day commeth, saith the Lord, that I will make a new Cove­nant with the House of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt, which my Covenant they brake, although I was to them an husband saith the Lord.

But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those daies, saith the Lord, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts and will be their God, and they shall be my people, and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord, for I will forgive their Iniquities and remember their sins no more.

You have here set forth two Covenants, the one Old, the other New, and as here we find a New and Old Covenant, so there is likewise, mention of two Covenants in the eighth to the Hebrews, where you have upon the matter the very same words, only it is clear, that Jesus Christ is the Minister of the New Covenant, in the 6. and 7. verses of that chap. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministery, by how much [Page 30] also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which was established upon better promises, for if that first Covenant had been faultless, there would no place have been sought for the second.

In which place we may understand two Cove­nants, a new Covenant and an old Covenant, and Jesus Christ holding himself to be the pecu­liar Minister of the New Covenant, (unto the Church then gathered) all those that are in Christ, being Gods Israel, Abrahams seed.

If you be in Christ then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to promise, Gal. 3. the lat­ter end. So that those that are Christs, have this Covenant now made to them, and it appears at the 3. verse, that the other Covenant was a meer Covenant of works, in that he saith, he hath made the first old.

And now that which waxeth old, is ready to va­nish away, where by old Covenant he means, that typical Covenant of works, which run up­on the fleshly line of Abraham, till Christ came out of the flesh of Abraham, and so put an end to that Covenant in the flesh, and this you have further proved in Heb. 9.15, 16. There is again mention made of two Covenants or Testaments, the first and second, the first was confirmed by the blood of Goats and Calves, the second by the blood of Christ: Now if any please but to search these Scriptures it will appear that there is two real distinct Covenants or Testaments, the one of Grace, and the other of works, the one conditional, the other absolute. Now an [Page 31] absolute Covenant, is a Covenant without all Condition required in the Creature, but what God himself performs, as Jerem. 32.40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me; Where you see, God undertakes both; first, that he will not leave or forsake his peo­ple, but do them good; and secondly, under­takes that he will plant his fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from him.

And as in that eighth of Heb. he engaged that he will write his Law in their hearts, and that he will be their God, and they shall be his peo­ple, and that he will teach them to know him, and will pardon their iniquities, and their sins he will remember no more.

Now here is nothing but what God hath un­dertaken to perform, and to work in the Crea­ture, as further appears in Ezekiel 16. latter end. For thus saith the Lord God, I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast dispised the oath in breaking the Covenant, Notwithstand­ing I will remember my covenant with thee in the day of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant, and as he saith af­terward, not by thy covenant, but by my co­venant, so that which he calls thy covenant, was that which they broke, and therein dispised the Oath as he saith plainly; holding forth that it was a covenant of works answerable to that in Nehemiah 10.29. They clave to their Brethren the [Page 32] Nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God.

In which case you may discern here was two covenants, the one, that God calls his cove­nant, and another, that was their covenant, a covenant of works which they broke. And like­wise you have further the covenant of eternal life, opened in Ezekiel 36.25, 26, 27. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from your Idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the Stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes, and you shall keep my Judgements and do them.

Where you have, as I said before, this New covenant wholly lying on Gods part, that he would first cleanse them from all their Idols and iniquities, that he undertakes to give a new heart, to take away the heart of Stone, and to give them hearts of flesh. And that he will give the soul his own Spirit, and thereby came these to walk in his ways whom he calls to the obedience of his truth.

If they sin, he binds himself to pardon their sins, and to remember their sins and transgressi­ons no more, so that it is impossible that this covenant should be broke, or that a soul shall e­ver miscarry, that is once in this covenant, as in respect of his everlasting estate.

[Page 33]And to this purpose, David very eminently speaks in 2 Sam. 23. and 5. verse, Although my house he not so with God, yet he hath made with me an Ever­lasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. Where you have David setting out the Covenant of Grace, and the mercies in it to be in all points perfect and sure.

And to this purpose the Prophet in the 55. of Isaiah, and the third verse, inviting souls, and perswading them to come to Christ, saith, In­cline your ear, and come unto me; Hear and and your souls shall live, and I will make an ever­lasting Covenant with you, even the sure mer­cies of David, that is, he will give a Soul those New Covenant mercies, which are most sure, no way depending upon any condition to be performed in the Creature, but wholly upon the Lord, as appears in Psalm 89.28. to the 37. ver. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my Covenant shall stand fast with him; his seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of Heaven. If his children forsake my Law, and walk not in my Judgements. If they break my Sta­tutes, and keep not my Commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with the Rod, and their ini­quities with Stripes, Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faith­fulness to fail; My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing which is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my Holiness, that I will not ly unto Da­vid. His seed shall endure for ever, His Throne as the [Page 34] [...]un before me, It shall be established for ever, as the Moon, and as a faithful Witness in Heaven, Selah.

Now in these words you have the Covenant of eternal life made with Christ and his spiritual seed which David and his seed were types of, which Covenant is a sure Covenant, to all those to whom it is once made, and to this doth the Author to the Hebrews allude, when he saith in chap. 6.17, 18. Wherein God willing more abun­dantly to shew unto the heirs of promise, the im­mutability of his Counsel confirmed by an oath. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to ly, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Now in this Covenant before spoken to, you have both the promise and oath here spoken of, and here in this Covenant must needs be discovered, the im­mutability of his Counsel, because this is as Da­vid saith, a covenant that is in all points perfect and sure; and James, in his Epistle alluding to these New covenant blessings or gifts, saith, E­very good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning: and that he doth here speak of the New covenant gifts, doth appear in the next words he saith. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures.

Now consider well, that in this covenant there is nothing that he requires, but he ingageth himself to enable us to accomplish. If he com­mand [Page 35] to pray, he promiseth to give his Spirit to help our infirmities. If he command to walk in all his waies, as you have heard, he promiseth that he will put his Spirit in them to cause them to walk in his waies.

But some may object and say, That we find the Gospel is held out upon Condition of Faith and Repen­tance.

Answer, It is true,Why though the Covenant of Grace be absolute, yet the promises are held forth under a condi­tion. the promise of salvation and remission of Sin, is held out with a condi­tion to the world; because it is Gods free mer­cy to work that condition in the hearts of his E­lect, by means of preaching and tendering of the Gospel, and in them only.

But we are not to think, that this grace of Faith and Repentance, are any Qualifications that persons are to attain by their own abilities unto which the Gospel is tendred.

But in the new covenant, the Lord under­takes to work the condition, and to give the salvation tendred upon that condition also, for saith he, I will be unto you a God, and you shall be unto me a people; and in particular, he saith, He will put his Law in their hearts, and in their minds will he write them, and he will teach them to know him.

Now doubtless, the Law of Faith and Re­pentance are here included, according to those Scriptures, Ephes. 2.8. For by grace are you saved through Faith, and that not of your selves, It is the gift of God.

Where he holds forth, that though Faith be an Instrumental means of our salvation, yet [Page 36] it is Gods free gift wrought in us,Faith the gift of God. & therfore sure­ly a covenant gift. Paul upon this ground in Phil. 1.28. saith, It is not only given us to believe, but to suffer for his names sake where to believe, it is gi­ven of God, and so in Acts 18.27. speaking of Apol­lo, saith, that when he came, he helped them much who had believed through grace, as in Hebr. 12.2. where Jesus is said to be as well the Author as the finisher of our faith.

All which passages do shew, that Faith is as well given in the new covenant, as the Salvation tendred upon that condition.

Repentance the gift of God.And so is also repentance, a New covenant gift, as well as remission of sins tendred upon that con­dition, as you find in Acts 5.31. Him hath God ex­alted with his own right hand to be a Prince and Sa­viour, to give Repentance to Israel, and Remission of sins: and in Acts 11.18. When they heard those things they held their peace and glorifyed God, say­ing, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repen­tance unto life.

Where observe, to Gods Israel, both of Jews and Gentiles, God doth grant and freely give Repentance as well as salvation and remission of sins, promised upon the condition of Repen­tance, as likewise appears in the 2 Tim. 2.25. where the Ministers of God are commanded in meekness to instruct those that oppose them­selves, if God peradventure will at any time, give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, which doth plainly prove, that though Repentance and Faith be the condition that the [Page 37] Gospel is tendred on, yet you see, the Lord doth in the New covenant, give faith and repentance as well as Remission of sins, and eternal life.

And further I shall make it appear,The Covenant of Grace ob­scurely deli­vered to our first parents. That this covenant of grace to eternal life, was first more obscurely and darkly revealed to our first pa­rents, God directing his speech to the Devil in Gen. 3.16. for the greater terror of the Devil and the greater comfort of his Elect God saith, I will put enmity between thy seed and the seed of the wo­man, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This speech contains in substance, the cove­nant of grace, Christ the true spiritual seed be­ing here promised, who in Scripture is held forth to be the very substance and marrow of the New covenant, therefore the Lord saith in Isaiah 4 [...].6 speaking of Christ, I will give thee a Covenant of the people, a light to the Gentiles: where the ve­ry gift of Christ is called a covenant, because where he is promised, all heavenly and spiritu­al blessings in him are there given, all the pro­mises being in Christ, Yea, and in him Amen, 2 Corin. 1.20. And all spiritual and heavenly bles­sings are in him, Ephes. 1.3. He saith, he will put enmity between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman, which must needs have thus much in it.

That God would put or infuse in the seed of the woman his created gifts of holyness and pu­rity, and that precious love of God, whereup­on it must needs be, that this new nature would [Page 38] be hated by the Devil as being opposite to him, and also must needs hate the Devil, with his e­vil nature, as the Psalmist saith, Ye that love God hate evil, Christ tells us in Mat. 10.34. Think not that I come to send peace on earth, I came not to send peace, but a sword; for I am come to set a man at va­riance against his Father, and the Daughter against her Mother, and the Daughter-in-law against the Mo­ther-in-law, and a mans foes shall be they of his own house-hold. And Luke saith, five in one house shall be divided, three against two, and two a­gainst three, chap. 12.52. And what should occa­sion this division, but that new nature which the Lord infuseth into his own seed or children, which cannot comply with the seed of the Ser­pent; So Peter saith, they spake evil of us, be­cause we run not with them to the same excess of Riot, 1 Pet. 4.4.

So that I understand that here in this third of Genesis is the whole New covenant inclu­ded.

The New Co­venant not intailed upon any fleshly line.This new covenant was never intailed upon any fleshly line or generation, as the covenant of circumcision was, but was still confirmed of God in Christ, and to such souls only in Christ, as you find in the promise to Abraham, Gen. 12.3. In thee shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed.

Where you may observe, That here is no re­spect of persons in the matter of these blessings to everlasting life; But all Nations in Christ, as well one Nation as another, if in Christ, [Page 39] have those blessings promised to them, and thus much is imployed in that promise, that all nati­ons out of him are accursed.

But God here directs his speech to Abraham (some may say) it is true,What's meant by the bles­sedness pro­mised to A­braham and his seed. but with respect to Christ now, who as touching the flesh, was in his loins; and this blessedness or justification of life, which was confirmed in Abraham as a Fa­ther of all Nations, is by the Apostle Paul, cal­led the Gospel, Gal. 3.8. The Scripture foresee­ing that God would justify the Heathen through Faith, preached the Gospel to Abraham, as it is written, In thee shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed: so this blessedness spoken of in Gen. 12.3. is expounded by Paul, to be justification by faith in Christ, and in Acts 3. this blessedness is there expounded to be a turning of every one of them from their iniquities, Acts 3.26.

And also this Gospel promise or covenant is spoken to in Gen. 15.5. where he bids Abraham look up to the Heavens, and if he could number the Stars of Heaven, and the Sands upon the Sea-shore, so shall thy seed be; and Abraham be­lieved God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, This promise is quoted by the Apostle Paul as the Gospel covenant in Rom. 4.3. in opposition to the covenant of Circumcision, intailed upon the flesh or fleshly line of Abraham. For Circumcision was a Covenant in the flesh as the Apostle calls it, which he also expounds in the 1. and 2. v. to be a Covenant of works; but more of that hereafter, only that which I would [Page 40] observe at present is, that the Apostle confirms that Gospel promise in Genesis 12. and verse 3. and Genesis 15. and ver. 5. to be the new cove­nant, wherein was given, through faith, the Justification of Life, excluding in this point the covenant of Circumcision, called Works, Rom. 4.1, 2. and both these covenants are made with Abraham in Gen. 17. there you find the new covenant made with him, to verse the 6. and from the 7. verse to the 14. the covenant of Cir­cumcision in the flesh; the new covenant is ex­pressed in the third verse, where he saith, As for me my covenant shall be with thee, and thou shalt be a Father of many nations, or of a multi­tude of nations, and thy name shall be no more called Abram but Abraham, for a Father of a multitude of nations have I made thee, this is by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 4.17, 18. held out to be the Covenant of life, which he doth clear­ly hold distinct and different from the covenant of Circumcision in that place, denying that A­braham or his spiritual seed, had their justifica­tion in the covenant of Circumcision, but brin­ging in this, that Abraham should be a Father of many nations, and so shall thy seed be, as that in which Abraham and his spiritual seed, whe­ther of Jews or Gentiles were and should be ju­stified.

And this promise or covenant, is made with Abraham in Gen. 18.18. In thee shall all the Nati­ons of the Earth be blessed; So long as Christ was according to the flesh in Abrahams loyns, [Page 41] the promise runs thus, In thee, meaning that through Christ, which then was in him, should all nations of the earth be blessed.

But assoon as Isaac was come out of Abrahams loins, as in Gen. 22.18. then saith he, In thy seed shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed: whereby seed, most strictly is to be understood Christ, as the Apostle Paul intimates in Gal. 3.16. where he expounds this word seed, to be not seeds, as of many, but seed as of one, which is Christ. So this blessedness in the seed Christ, is here expounded to be, Gods confirming his Co­venant in Christ, and note that this blessedness which David holds out to be the Covenant con­firmed of God in Christ, it was not entailed up­on the flesh of Abraham and his fleshly seed, but made in Abraham as a Father of all the spiritual seed in all nations, and confirmed in the seed Christ, to all nations

Here the Jews after the flesh have no more in­terest than any other nation, except it be by faith, for faith only unites to this seed, and gives an in-being in the same.

This blessedness is expounded by David in Psalm 32. last ver. To ly in remission of sins, and purgation of the heart from guile, and expoun­ded by the Apostle in Acts 3. last ver. To be a turning every one from his iniquities; for so there Peter expounds this blessedness, confirmed in Abraham and his seed. And though Christ did fulfill this covenant to the Elect of the Jews, yet the rest were hardned, and were never in [Page 42] this sense blest, either in the point of Justification or purgation from sin, because they were never in Christ the true seed by faith, nor never were thereby the spiritual seed of Abraham, walking in the steps of his faith, as all his spiritual seed did, Rom. 4.12. and Gal. 3.29. If you be in Christ, then are you Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Thus I have given you from clear light of Scripture, that there were two covenants, a co­venant of Grace, and a covenant of Works; the covenant of Grace belonging to Abraham and his spiritual seed in Christ, and all along from Adam, to all the spiritual seed of the Woman, that were born of promise, as the Apostle de­scribes the spiritual seed, in Rom. 9.8. for he saith, such are accounted the seed, that are so born of promise. And so at this day, all nati­ons both Jews and Gentiles that are born again they are the seed and children, that only have an Interest in the promise of salvation. And so much for this first head.

Circumcision proved to be no covenant of eternal Life, but a ty­pical and car­nal covenant.Now I come in the next place to prove, that the covenant of Circumcision is no covenant of eternal life, but a typical covenant, yea a cove­nant of works, which is also called by the Lord a Covenant in the flesh, Gen. 17.13. and therefore to be sure no covenant of eternal life.

But for the better clearing of the truth of this I shall first expound some words in the covenant,How the word Eve lasting is taken in the Law. and that is the word Everlasting Covenant, that word seems to some to hold it forth, a covenant [Page 43] of life, because it is said to be everlasting, wher­as the word everlasting used in this Covenant, is to be understood only, for the Ever of the Law for the time of the Jewish State, as alwaies the word is to be understood, when applyed to the Jews in their generation. As for example, In the 16. of Leviticus it is said, the Priest should make an attonement for the holy Sanctuary, an attonement for the Tabernacle of the Congre­gation, and for the Altar, and he shall make an attonement for the Priests, and for all the peo­ple of the Congregation, and this shall be an everlasting Statute to you to make an attone­ment for the children of Israel for all their sins, once a year: which everlasting here must needs be understood but till Christ came, and so in Numb. 25.13. He shall have it, and his seed after him, even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an at­tonement for the Children of Israel, speaking here only of a Ceremonial Priesthood, typing out Jesus Christ, the substance that was to put an end to it.

And so this covenant of Circumcision is to be understood, as everlasting as Canaan, and the possession thereof, which was until Christs com­ming, who was the substance thereof; this be­ing a Maxim, That wheresoever the word Ever­lasting or Ever hath this joined with it, to you, or to your seed in their generations; that then it is to be understood only, for the Ever of the Law; and the time and period of that Ministration, [Page 44] till Christ come, and no longer, Exod. 40.15. Thou shalt annoint them, as thou didst annoint their Fa­thers, that they may minister unto me in the Priests office; for their annointing shall surely be an everla­sting Priesthood throughout their generations. And so you have it in Exod. 30.20, 21. Moses saying, When they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregati­on, they shall wash with water, that they dy not; and when they come near the altar to minister, to burn of­ferings made by fire unto the Lord, so they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they dy not; and it shall be a Statute for ever to them, even to him, and to his seed throughout their generations.

The next word that I would speak to, is I will be to thee a God, and to thy seed after thee, which to some seems to hold forth a covenant of grace, in that he gives himself as a God in this covenant.

To which I answer, That God either gives and makes himself over in a covenant of works, which is upon a condition of works done in the creature; or else he gives himself in an absolute covenant of grace in Christ Jesus the Mediator without all condition of works to be fulfilled in the creature.

I shall make it clear, That God no otherwise gives himself in the covenant of Circumcision but conditionally,1. Argument to prove Cir­cumcision a covenant of Works. which is the first argument that I shall use to prove the covenant of Circum­cision to be a covenant of works & not a covenant of eternal life, because it is conditional, what God promiseth to be or to give to Abraham and his fleshly seed in their generations; it was upon a [Page 45] condition; that Abraham and his seed should keep his covenant on their parties as clearly appears, Gen. 17.7, 8, to verse 14. where you find the Lord engageth himself to Abrahamn, and his fleshly seed to be their God and to give them the whole Land of Canaan, In that sense he would be their God, to possess them of that good land, and all the blessings of the same, upon condition, that they should keep his covenant on their part, both he and his generation after him.

And the subject matter of the covenant that they should keep, is, That he should be circum­cised, and circumcise all born in his house and bought with money. But though Circumcision only be here mentioned, yet all the works of the Law, at that time made known to Abra­ham, are there included; as the Apostle ex­pounds it, who best understood that Scripture, Rom. 2.25. For Circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the Law; but if thou be a breaker of the Law, thy circumcision, shall be made uncircumcision, and so you have it, Gal. 5.1, 2, 3. Stand fast, saith the Apostle, in the Liberty where­with Christ hath made you free, and be not intangled again with the yoke of bondage, which in Acts 15. it is said, Neither they, nor their Fathers were able to bear; but verse 2. Behold I Paul say unto you, That if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing, for I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law. And so much is clearly held forth in Gal. 6.12, 13. Where saith the Apostle, As many as desire to make a fair shew [Page 46] in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only least they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ; for neither they themselves who are circum­cised, keep the Law, but desire you to be circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

Where you may observe, That for men to be circumcised themselves, and not to keep the Law, or otherwise to press it upon others; the Apostle holds it to be absurd, if withall they did not keep the Law that were thus circumci­sed.

And in the Text before quoted, it is clear, That Circumcision (in the nature of it) binds them over to keep the Law; And to this pur­pose you find in Acts 15. There were certain Tea­chers that taught the Brethren, That except they were circumcised they could not be saved; Upon which the Apostles come together, and in the 10. verse Peter saith, Why tempt you God to lay a yoke upon the Disciples necks, which neither our Fathers, nor we are able to bear? And what was this yoke, but that they were to be circumcised and to keep the Law?

So that Circumcision was that which did com­prehend under it the covenant of works; or the yoke of bondage that Paul in Gal. 5.1, 2, 3. bids Christians stand fast in their liberty or free­dom from that covenant or yoke of bondage which Jesus Christ had freed them from.

So that you may see that all the observation of the Law, which we are set at liberty from by Christ Jesus his death, was included in the Law [Page 47] of Circumcision. So that in effect, here you have the covenant; Abraham (as if God should say) I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee in their generations, to protect, defend, and deliver thee, to bless thee and thy seed with the blessing of Canaan, to bless thee, and the fruit of thy womb, in the Basket, and in their store, in all their outward blessings; upon condition that thou and they will be circumcised and keep the Law. Thus God makes a covenant upon condition, So that if they fail on their part, then he is left at liberty to fail on his part, as that no­table expression in Jer. 11.2 3, 4, 5. Hear the word of this Covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and say thou un­to them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Cove­nant, which I commanded unto your Fathers, when I brought them from the Land of Egypt, from the Iron Fornace, saying, Obey my voice and do accor­ding to all these things which I command you, so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God, that I might confirm the Oath that I have sworn unto your Fa­thers, to give them a Land which floweth with Milk and Honey, as appeareth this day.

Whence you may clearly observe, That God gives himself to be their God, and the blessing of Canaan, upon condition that they would keep the Law, So shall ye be my people, and I will be your God.

Now you must mind, that Abraham had a new covenant of life made with him when he was [Page 48] 75. years old, Gen. 12.4. which was 24. years be­fore this time, that he had the covenant of Cir­cumcision, and his happiness with all his spiri­tual seed, was and is in that absolute covenant, confirmed of God in Christ, which stands in force still to believers in all Nations. But this covenant of Circumcision was conditional, and not absolute, therefore no covenant of life, but a covenant of works.

2. Argument to prove Cir­cumcision a Covenant of works.The second ground why the covenant of Cir­cumcision must needs be a covenant of Works, a Typical covenant, is, because it was a Nati­onal covenant, a covenant in the flesh, as in Gen. 17.13. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised, so my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant. To be sure such is not the covenant of grace, to eternal life, for that was confirmed of God in Christ, as you hear, to all Nations; In thee shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed, Gen. 12.3. and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed, Gen. 22.18. as I have formerly spoken to.

But the Lord saith of this Covenant of Cir­cumcision, that it shall be in their flesh for an everlasting covenant. It is manifest by the Apo­stle Paul, that this is therefore a covenant of Works, Rom. 4.1, 2 saith he, What shall we say then, that Abraham our Father as appertaining to the flesh hath found? for if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God.

These words are inserted by the Apostle Paul [Page 49] for the prevention of an objection that might justly be in the mind of the Romans occasioned by the Apostles former answer. For though the Apostle had granted in the beginning of the third chapter, that the circumcised Jews, were in some respect privileged above other Nati­ons, and that chiefly, in those eminent ten­ders and offers that the Gospel held out amongst them; which though it proved not effectual to all, yet he minds to some it was effectual; But yet after in verse 9. The Apostle begins to ma­nifest his understanding, that to be a Jew after the flesh, and to be in the covenant of Circum­cision, did not free men from the guilt of dam­nation, no more than other men that were Hea­thens, that were not Jews after the flesh, neither circumcised.

To this purpose he states a question, What then? Are we better than they? No in no wise. For we have before proved, that both Jew and Gentile, are all under sin, as it is written, there is none righteous, no not one; where the Apo­stle goes on to prove, That the Jews after the flesh (in the covenant of Circumcision) were equally in a damnable and sinful condition with the poor Heathenish Infidels, all equally guilty before God, verse 19. and his inference is in verse 20. that therefore by the works of the Law, no flesh should be justified in his sight, cleerly holding forth, That to be a Jew, and circum­cised, and to be under the Law, is the self-same thing, and when the Apostle had concluded that [Page 50] being a Jew in the Covenant of Circumcision, did in no way difference him from the Heathen, as to life, He now shews what way both Jews and Gentiles come to the Justification of life, and that is freely by Gods grace through the redem­ption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, and therefore he excludes the Law of Works, wholly in the matter of Justificati­on, and brings in the Law of faith; shewing clearly that he hath but one way to justify both Jew and Gentile, which is by Faith in Jesus Christ, the true promised seed in the new co­venant.

Upon these words the Romans seemed thus to argue, chap. 4. ver. 1. Is it so? that a man may be a Jew, and have interest in the covenant of Cir­cumcision entailed upon the fleshly line, and seed of Abraham, and yet be not better than Pa­gans or Heathens, as to the matter of life? What shall we then say, that Abraham our Father, as appertaining to the flesh, hath found? As if they should say; if a man may be a Jew of the seed of Abraham, and so of the covenant of Circumci­sion, and as to the matter of Justification and e­ternal life, be no nearer than a profane Gentile, that is not Abrahams seed, nor hath any Interest in the Covenant? what privilege doth Abraham find in the covenant appertaining to, or intailed on the flesh?

Unto which the Apostle answers, in the se­cond and third verses, and so along in the chap. [Page 51] 4. of the Romans, clearly distinguishing two covenants the one of Circumcision a covenant of works; the other a promise of Jesus Christ, made to the faith of such as believe. Therefore saith the Apostle in the 2. ver. and so forward; If Abraham were justified by works, he hath wher­of to glory, but not before God; plainly inter­preting that the covenant that our Father Abra­ham had interest in, as appertaining to the flesh of him and his seed after him in their generati­ons, was a covenant of works; in which Abra­ham had nothing to glory in before God, the reason is given because he was justified before God in another Covenant or promise Gen. 15.5, 6 For what saith the Scripture? Abraham be­lieved God, and it was accompted to him for righteousness.

And thus the Apostle goes along, shewing that Justification was not to be had in the Covenant of works intailed on the flesh of Abraham. But by faith in the Covenant of grace the promised seed, which he proves by Davids Testimony in Psalm 32.1, 2. set down in the 6, 7, 8, verses of this chapter.

Now [...]hus much being said, he states the que­stion, Whether this grace of Justification came upon the Circumcision only, or the uncircum­cision also, for we say, that faith was reckoned unto Abraham for righteousness.

Now here is the question, seeing that Abra­ham had two covenants made with him, one the Gospel of Faith, and the other a Covenant in [Page 52] the Flesh? In which of these had he his justifi­cation to eternal life?

The answer is plain, for saith the Apostle, not in circumcision, he was not justified in or by the Covenant of Circumcision, but in the promise of the promised seed, which God is said to give a covenant for his people by faith in that seed, even in uncircumcision was Abraham justified, and that (as I said before) 24. years before the covenant of Circumcision was made with him, he was justified, believing in the promise of the Messiah, that was to come out of his loins, ac­cording to the flesh, In whom all Nations of the Earth should be blessed.

Now God promising that the Messiah accor­ding to the flesh, should come out of Abraham, viz. out of his Loins or his flesh, and this was then a great article of his faith, that he was to believe to righteousness: not only that Justifica­tion was to be had, and blessedness to be had? But it must be had in that seed, that was to come out of Abraham according to the flesh.

And as a confirmation and seal of this pub­lique righteousness, confirmed in Abraham as a Father of all Nations, God elects that flesh and blood to himself, I mean the family of Abra­ham in an external Covenant, to point out to all the world, that as verily as God did take this nation (according to the flesh) to himself by this external covenant, so would God be incar­nate in this flesh.

And as the flesh of the fore-skin of the mem­ber [Page 53] of Generation must be cut or bruised, and the blood shed, by which the Jew according to the flesh, was bound to keep the Law, this I un­derstand did figure out, how Christ the true seed of Abraham, descending out of his loins by Ge­neration, should (considered as male and not fe­male) by breaking his flesh, and shedding his blood, fulfil and satisfy the Law.

So that this Covenant of Circumcision, was of sealing use to Abraham, to confirm this other covenant, and a School-Master to lead to Christ, as all other Branches of that old covenant were: Therefore saith Paul in Rom. 4.11. Moreover he received the sign of Circumcision, a seal of the Righteousness of faith, which he had, being un­circumcised, that he might be the father of all those that believe.

Where observe, the Apostle calls not cir­cumcision a seal, but a sign, He received the sign of Circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had being uncircumcised. There are these reasons in the Text that restrain the sealing use of Circumcision only to Abraham. The sealing use of Cir­cumcision proved to be peculiar unto Abraham.

First, Because this righteousness of faith, the Text saith, he had before he was circumcised. Therefore good reason it might be sealed or con­firmed, having it before he received the sign of Circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had being uncircumcised. But his po­sterity after him, at eight daies old cannot be said that they had this righteousness of faith to seal, having it not preceding their Circumci­sion.

[Page 54]The second reason the text affords us, is, that he might be the Father of all that believe, this is the main reason the Apostle insists upon, He received the sign of Circumcision, a seal of the righ­teousness of faith, that he might be the Father of all that believe.

This reason cannot be applyable to any of A­brahams posterity, besides himself, for they were not the Fathers of all that believe, That was proper to Abraham to be a high Father, or a Father of all nations; therefore (as I said be­fore) God promising in Abraham that publique righteousness, as a father of all Nations in the the covenant of grace, adds to that covenant an external covenant, to be intailed in his line, and in his flesh, as a confirmation of the same.

A third reason is this, Here is the Spirit of God affirming the sealing use of Circumcision to Abraham only, and not to any one of his fleshly seed, and as before, upon a reason special to A­braham; Now where the Scripture hath not a Mouth to speak, we must not have an Ear to hear. But the Scripture here only affirms Cir­cumcision, to be a Seal of the righteousness of faith to Abraham, and affords no such thing as to his seed.

A fourth reason lies in verse 13. That the pro­mise of Abraham to be the heir of the world, was not to him, nor his seed through the Law, that is, through the covenant of Circumcision, but through the righteousness of faith.

For if they which are of the Law, be heirs, [Page 55] then faith is made void, and the promise of none effect, because the Law worketh wrath, there­fore it is of faith, that it might be by Grace to the end the promises might be sure to all the seed. Not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, I have made thee a father of many Nations, before him who belie­ved, even God, who quickneth the dead.

So that there is not in all the Scripture, a place more clearly proves the covenant of Cir­cumcision intailed on the fleshly line of Abraham, to be a covenant of works than this 4. of the Ro­mans, clearing and setting the covenant of Cir­cumcision and Faith in opposition, holding forth that Abraham and all his spiritual seed, had their Justification in another covenant, and not in the covenant of Circumcision; clearly holding forth the covenant of Circumcision to be works and not Grace, which doth sufficiently prove, that the covenant of Circumcision, had no promise of Justification or eternal life in it.

But further,An Appendix to the second Argument to prove Circum­cision a Cove­nant of works. That the covenant intailed on the flesh, must needs be understood to be a Co­venant of works, viz. that of Circumcision ap­pears in Philip. 3.2, 3, 4. and so forward, where saith the Apostle, Beware of Doggs, beware of evil Workers, beware of the Concision; for we are the Circumcision, that worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence in the flesh. By flesh he means the covenant entailed upon the flesh, the covenant of Circumcision, [Page 56] it is plain by his answer, for he saith, If any man thinketh he hath whereof to trust in the flesh, I more, circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the Tribe of Benjamen, an Hebrew of the He­brews, as touching the Law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the Church, touching the righteous­ness of the Law, blameless.

And this he sets by no more, than dung or dross, in comparison of the other Covenant or Promise of Christ, righteousness and salvation by him, which he received by faith, and he suf­fered the loss of all things for the sake of him, and did accompt all the whole privilege of Cir­cumcision, and the covenant of works, to be but as dung, that he might win Christ, which if the promise of Christ, and salvation and ju­stification by him, had been given in the Cove­nant of the flesh, and line of Abraham, then it had been very improper for Paul, to accompt this as dung, and to cast contempt upon it, as that which was wholly void of Christ. It would be very sinful for any man in such a case, to cast such contempt upon the covenant of grace it self and the privileges thereof peculiarly relating to the same.

But you see, Paul doth here clearly distinguish two covenants, The one of saith, the other of Circumcision. This will further appear in Gal. 3.3. Are ye so foolish, that having begun in the Spi­rit, are ye now made perfect in the flesh? Where he again distinguisheth two covenants, the one Spi­ritual, the other a fleshly covenant. The Galla­tians [Page 57] having at the first hearing of him, begun to imbrace the Gospel or the Spirit or Spiritual word of the New Covenant, and now they would join the covenant of works in the flesh, with the Gospel, which, it is evident, he means the covenant of circumcision, which here they would seek to be perfected by:

Therefore in Gal. 4. l [...]tter end, he clearly di­stinguisheth between two Covenants, under the figure of Sarah and Hagar, and two seeds; hol­ding forth the covenant of Circumcision to be the covenant of works, and to be that bond-woman (as it were) in chap. 5.1, 2, 3. Chap. 6.12, 13. So that if you will seriously mind these Scri­ptures, they do most evidently prove, that the covenant of Circumcision made in the flesh or fleshly line of Abraham, is a covenant of works, and that which the Gospel or Covenant of grace, is set in opposition to; and as this covenant of Circumcision is set in opposition to the covenant of eternal life: as having all the works of the Law included in it. So consider the new cove­nant speaks thus, I will put my Law in your hearts, and in your minds will I write them. But Circumcision is a covenant, not in the heart, but in the flesh only as you have heard; This is the second ground, why the covenant of Circum­cision cannot be a covenant of eternal life, but a covenant of works only.

The third reason to prove Circumcision to be a Covenant of works, an not of eternal life,3. Argument to prove Cir­cumcision a Covenant of Works. is,

[Page 58]Because that there is no promise of eternal life in it, but of temporal blessings in the Land of Canaan, and that God promising himself to be a God, is only in that respect, as to outward Protection and Provision in the Land of Canaan, and other like privileges. And that is noted by the Apostle in Heb. 8.6. But now hath he obtain­ed a more excellent Ministery; by how much also he is a Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises:

Herein he clearly doth shew, that the covenant waxing old and vanishing away, was grounded upon worse promises, which must needs be un­derstood temporal promises, as in Jerem. 11.2, 3, 4, 5. Hear ye the words of this Covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and Inhabitants of Jeru­salem, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant, which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the Iron Furnace, saying, Obey my voice and do them, according to all which I command you. So shall ye be my people, and I will be your God, that I may perform the Oath that I have sworn unto your Fathers, to give them a Land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day; then answered I and said, So be it O Lord.

Where you have this Covenant of Gods being his peoples God, and giving them Canaan, annexed to the works of the Law as being all one covenant.

Observe the words in the Text, So shall ye be [Page 59] my people, and I will be your God, that I may perform the Covenant which I have sworn to your Fathers to give them a Land flowing with Milk and Honey.

You shall see that the promises of Canaan and the blessings thereof, are annexed to the Law of works, Deut. 30.15. See, I have set before thee life and good, and death and evil, In that I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his waies, and to keep his commandments and Sta­tutes, and his Judgements, that thou mayst live and multiply, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess it.

And so in the last verse, where he presseth the people to obey his voice, that they might dwell in the Land, that the Lord sware unto their Fa­thers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them. And so in Deut. 7.12, 13. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that if you hearken to those Judgements to keep and do them, that then the Lord shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy that he sware to thy Fathers; and he will love thee and bless thee, and multiply thee, he will also bless thee in the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy Land, thy Corn, and thy Wine, and thine Oyl, the increase of thy Kine, and the flock of thy Sheep in the Land which he sware unto thy Fathers to give thee.

So that you see, the covenant of God, giving himself a God, to the National people of the Jews in relation to the blessing of Canaan, was still upon obedience to the works of the Law; that this covenant which God elected to himself the body of Israel, in, and by which he seperated [Page 60] them to himself from all the Nations of the Earth, it is clear, was a covenant of works; wherein the people were bound to outward ob­servance, and worship, and service to God. Up­on this Condition would God be their God, and give them Canaan. For there is a vast difference, in Gods making over himself to be a God to a People, in a conditional covenant of Works out of Christ, and in an absolute covenant esta­blished of God in Christ. For in such a cove­nant he was never the God of the whole family of Abraham, or Church of Israel; the elect obtain­ed that, the rest were hardned, as in Rom. 11.17.

4. Argument to prove Cir­cumcision a Covenant of Works.The fourth ground is this, That a man by laying out a little money, might have brought a Person into this Covenant, and interessed him thereby into all the Privileges of the same; which if this were a covenant of life, wherein the Spirit and Spiritual gifts of the Lord had been given, a man might say as Peter did say to Symon Magus, Thy money perish with thee.

But for that reason, most certain it is, That this covenant of Circumcision is no spiritual co­venant, which will appear from the words of the Covenant in Gen. 17.12, 13. And he that is eight daies old, shall be circumcised among you, eve­ry man child in your Generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circum­cised, and my covenant shall be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant.

[Page 61]Where observe, That all bought with money must be circumcised, so that if an Israelite should buy a black Moor, or the most savage Heathen in the World; he was bound to see him circumcised, and being circumcised he was now in that cove­nant. The truth is, Circumcision was one of those carnal Ordinances, that the Author to the He­brews in Heb. 9.9. doth speak of that was appoin­ted till the time of Reformation.

Now the person which the Lord would have circumcised, must be of the family of Abraham, and that is all the qualifications required: For God doth not require a person, so and so spiri­tually qualified, as he doth now under the Gos­pel; the Lord gives in general a Law and Com­mandment unto Abraham, That all his Family must be circumcised, and that he must see it per­formed.

It is not in the institution enjoined, that the person that doth circumcise must be a believer, neither is it enjoined that the person upon whom it is done, must have Disciple-ship, or the work of grace, but this only, He must be one of the Family of Abraham, either born in his house, or bought with his money; and so the slave bought with money, was as truly interes­sed into the covenant of God, and the right of eating the Passeover, as one born in the house of the seed of Abraham.

A fifth ground is this,5. Argument to prove Cir­cumcision a Covenant of Works. That men (out of this Covenant) might be saved, and such as were re­ally interessed in it, might be damned.

[Page 62]As for Example, Lot dwelling in the City of Sodom, and all the Godly that day in the whole world, excepting Abraham and his house, or fa­mily, were no way interessed in the Covenant of Circumcision, yet were saved. And Israel, who, for the multitude of them, were as the Sand on the Sea-shore, and interessed in this Co­venant, yet but a Remnant of them were saved, as Isai. 10.23. Lot is commended to be a just and righteous man, and yet this covenant was never made to him, nor his seed and posterity, the Ammonites and Moabites, which were as tru­ly the seed and children of a believer as the seed of Abraham were, So you find Job in the Land of Ʋz, in the Book of Job, and his four friends, and besides those of Jobs friends one of his friends doth intimate several other antient and godly persons in those times, as Job 8.8, 10. Joh 15.10. For saith he, Ask the Antients and they will tell thee, for we have those with us, much more elder than thy Father: which doth argue, that there were very antient godly men fit to be inquired of, as touching those heavenly mysteries; that were much older than Jobs Father in that East Country. And it is plain that neither they, nor any of their children or families, had right to Circumcision, and the blessing of Canaan; but most sure it is, they had interest in the Covenant of life, which plainly shews that Circumcision was but an earthly typical covenant, such as good and godly men might nor have interest in, and such as wicked men had an interest in.

[Page 63]Do not we find, That all Davids sons were in this covenant? but how many except Solomon, had any right to the covenant of life, yea Abraham himself had eight Sons, and each of them a Ge­neration, but there was none of the other had the covenant of Circumcision made with them, but only Isaac, though the rest were as truly the Sons of believing Abraham as Isaac was; for Ish­mael, and the six Sons that he had by Keturah with their generations, were all the children of the same believing Abraham as Isaac was, and yet this covenant, ran not upon either of their Posterity, but in Isaac, saith the Text, shall thy seed be called; though we may not be so uncha­ritable but to think that many of the seed of those that went into the East Countrey, might be the elect of God, and in a covenant of Grace, yet be sure, they had not an Interest in this co­venant of Circumcision, and the Inheritance of Canaan.

And Isaiah tells us, in Isaiah chapter 1. verse 9. That if God had not left him a very small Remnant, Is [...]el had been as Sodom and Go­morah.

So that there was in the whole Nation of Is­rael (that were in the covenant of Circumcision) but a very small Remnant selected out from the rest, into the covenant of life, as in Romans 9. the Apostle so makes use of the words, and in the Romans chap. 11. ver. 5, 7. the Apostle saith, the election in and amongst Israel have obtained it, and the rest were hardned or blinded▪

[Page 64]The rest (may some say) what rest? the rest of Israel in the covenant of Circumcision. But it is plain, that all Israel were elected, one as much as another in the Covenant of Circumcision, by which they were, as I have said, seperated to God from all other nations.

But it is plain, That there was a Gospel Testa­ment confirmed of God in Christ, held out and tendred to the Jews by the Holy Prophets and Pen-men of God, the election obtained that, and the rest were hardned, remaining still in the literal and old Covenant of Circumcision which they had only right to by generation.

But this none could have right to, but by the regeneration and new birth, and therefore saith Isaiah 8.28. I and the children that thou hast given me, are as signs and wonders in Israel, implying clearly, that a little handful of Israel are given to Christ, in the Covenant of grace, out from amongst the body of Israel, the rest of the multitude of Israel remained without being given to Christ, making signs and won­ders at such as were given to him, by being ad­mitted into a covenant of eternal life through faith, which it appears, the whole body of Is­rael, were not admitted into, but some few only. So that you see Souls may be in this covenant of Circumcision, and be damned; and out of it, and saved; therefore this cannot be a co­venant of eternal life, but only a Typical cove­nant of Works:

The sixth ground to prove that the Covenant [Page 65] of Circumcision, was but a covenant of Works,6. Argument to prove Cir­cumcision a Covenant of Works. an outward Typical Covenant, was this.

That this Covenant of Circumcision might be broken, as the Lord saith in Gen. 17.14. And the uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from my people, he hath broken my covenant.

Where observe, though he were born of the Family, and of the seed of Abraham, and so had an interest in the Covenant; yet he might forfeit his right, and break this covenant, so as to be cast off from Gods people.

This is therefore that old Covenant spoke of by Jeremy chap. 31. ver. 31. I will make a new Cove­nant with the house of Israel, not like that Covenant which I made with their Fathers, which they broke, and my soul had no pleasure in them. For as I have shewed before, it is impossible that the New co­venant can be broken, because it is an absolute covenant, made on no condition to be fulfilled by the creature, but the Lord works both to will and to do of his good pleasure, in this covenant, therefore it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that shews mer­cy. Therefore the Lord speaking of the new co­venant in Jer. 33.15. and so forward, saith, In those daies and at that time, I will cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, he shall exe­cute Judgement and Righteousness in the Land; in those daies shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this is the name wherewith [Page 66] he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness; for thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel.

Neither shall the Priest the Levite, want a man be­fore me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, that there should not be day and night in their seasons, then may also my cove­nant be broken with David my Servant, that he should not have a Son to reign upon his Throne. Where you see the spiritual covenant cannot be broken, as Psalm 89.34. My Covenant will I not break, nor al­ter the thing that is gone out of my mouth.

Therefore it must needs be a covenant of works, that is, conditional, he made such a co­venant with the Priest, mentioned in the first of Sam. 2.30. where the Lord saith to this purpose, Wherefore the God of Israel said, I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy Fathers, should walk before me for ever. But now saith the Lord, be it far from me, for them that honor me, I will honor, and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.

You must still mind those promises the Lord makes upon condition, the creature not wal­king in the performance of the condition on his part, God is set free, or at liberty, whether he will perform such conditional promises, yea, or no.

But it is not so in absolute promises confirmed of God in Christ, Gal. 3.17. those promises are all Yea, and Amen, as you see in 2 Cor. 1.20. But [Page 67] the covenant of Circumcision being a covenant of works, a poor creature truly interessed in that covenant, might break it, forfeit his interest, and be cast out and rejected out of that covenant from amongst his people, as is clearly confirmed in Isaiah 50.1. Thus saith the Lord? where is the Bill of your Mothers Divorcement, which I have put away? or to which of my Creditors, have I sold you? behold, for your iniquities have you sold your selves, and for your transgressions is your Mother put away.

Now (beloved) a divorce argues a breach and forfeiting the covenant, which the body of all Israel was in; and we know all along, the Nati­onal covenant was that of Circumcision, and they that know in the least measure, the nature of the covenant of Grace, cannot but know it to be such a covenant, out of which a soul can­not be divorced from the Lord.

But some may say, There are many that are vi­sibly in a covenant of Grace now under the Gos­pel, and yet may be cast out from Gods people: yet it followeth not, but that it is a covenant of Grace, and so then, they might be visibly in a covenant of Grace and yet be rejected.

Answ. Persons may now profess to be in Christ, and so in a covenant of Grace, by an outward profession, but this being barely a profession, and not in truth in them that profess the same; they profess they were in that, which in truth they never were: For under the Gos­pel, we have no infallible rule to know who is in the covenant of Grace, and who not; because [Page 68] we have only the confession of themselves, who may deceive themselves and us.

But we have an infallible Rule to judge, That Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the seed forward in their Loins, or their generations, were in this covenant of Circumcision; and therefore it is a great mistake for any to evade what hath been said upon such a groundless objection.

Now consider, That it is that great and faith­ful God that saith and professeth, Abrabam, his seed and family after him, from Jacob forward, were in this covenant with him; But now it is only poor unfaithful Man, hypocritical, dissem­bling, proud man, that saith he is in the Cove­nant of life, when it proves not so, or when it visibly proves the contrary, for Saints have a Rule to disown such. But this is a most certain truth, that God did never put a soul away, and make a divorce between himself and any one Soul, in a covenant of life; and it is as certain that the whole Church of Israel, were in rea­lity and truth in the covenant of Circumcision, as appears in Gen. 17.10, 11. where Abraham, and those born in his house, are to be circumcised. And so Psalm 105.9, 10.11, which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath with Isaac, and confirmed the same to Jacob by a Law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, Ʋnto thee have I given the Land of Canaan, the Lot of your inheritance.

Now it would plentifully appear, (if further proof needed) That God his own self testifyeth [Page 69] his making and entering into covenant, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their seed for­ward, therefore let no man please himself with such a poor, groundless objection, That the fa­mily of Israel were only visibly or in the judge­ment of Charity, in the covenant of Circumcision as Hypocrites are now in the Covenant of Grace,

For there is nothing more clear than this, that Israel were in truth and reality, in the covenant of Circumcision, expressed by the Mouth of God himself, and nothing more certain, that Israel were never (all of them) so much visibly in the covenant of grace.

For if it were necessary, I could multiply places of Scripture, to prove the most part of Israel visibly unbelievers, living in those mani­fest fruits of the flesh, as Drunkenness, Swearing, Lying, Whoring, Stealing. Covetousness, and palpable Ignorance, without faith and know­ledge, shedding of blood. All these notorious sins, were constantly in the greatest part of the Church of Israel, that they neighed (as fed Hor­ses) after their Neighbours wives, and were given to oppression and horrid Idolatrie. All these sins being such manifest fruits of the flesh, that such as live in them, the Apostle saith, cannot enter into the Kingdom of Christ and of God, but are visibly the children of the De­vil. Therefore to say, the whole body of Israel were visibly godly, and so visibly in the cove­nant of Grace, that is a most gross mistake; they were really in the outward National cove­nant [Page 70] of Circumcision, but not the generality so much as visibly in the Gospel covenant of life.

For it could not be denyed, but that those Jews in the 8. chapter of John verse 30. and so forward, were Abrahams children, & interessed in the covenant of works, yet Christ is far from concluding their right to the covenant of Son­ship, the heavenly adoption, but rather in that respect concludeth, They are of their Father the Devil, whose works they did, they being Lyars as he was from the beginning, and enemies to Christ, as the Devil was, therefore he excludes them from being the children of God, so that the main mass of blindness and darkness, ly­ing upon mens minds is this, they mix and con­found the two covenants made to Abraham, the one a spiritual heavenly covenant, made to him as a Father of the faithful, and to those only who walk in the steps of faithful Abraham, and the temporal covenant of Circumcision to the seed according to the flesh, frō Jacob forward, and those joining themselves to that family.

So then in a word, the covenant of Circumci­sion must needs be a covenant of works, and not of eternal life, because it might be broken, which the covenant of eternal life cannot be.

7. Argument to prove Cir­cumcision a Covenant of works.The seventh ground to prove the covenant of Circumcision not to be a covenant of Grace, is,

That if we maintain the covenant of Cir­cumcision, to be a covenant of Grace, to eter­nal life; therein we overthrow many funda­mental points of Religion, which is a strong [Page 71] ground to prove, it is not of Grace, but an out­ward typical covenant. For it is impossible, that such understanding of Scripture which crosseth plain fundamental points of religion, can be true.

Now for to give you some example for this, First you must needs confess, that the covenant of Circumcision was made to Abraham, and his seed after him in their generations, Gen. 17.7. from Isaac and Jacob forward. So that being born in the house or Family of Israel, or being bought with the money of one of the Israelites, interessed a person in that covenant, he coming forth of that line, was born heir to that cove­nant and the privileges of the same.

Now consider,To say that the covenant of Grace is entailed on the flesh, o­verthroweth the main fun­damental points of our Religion. That the chief and precious privileges of the covenant of grace, are adopti­on or Son-ship, Justification, and the inward work of sanctification, all which privileges, that generation must needs be born heirs to, if they were born heirs of a covenant of grace, which if this should be asserted, as it is by those who defend childrens baptism.

Then this fundamental point of Religion must needs be denyed, that all mankind are by na­ture, the children of wrath Ephes. 2.2. and that all both Jews and Gentiles are charged under sin, Rom. 3.9. And there is none righteous, no not one; But be it known to you, this is a fun­damental doctrine of truth, generally acknow­ledged by all the godly, That we are dead in sins and trespasses, wherein in times past, we walked according to the course of this world [Page 72] according to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we had our conversation in times past, in the lust of the flesh, and of the mind, and were children of wrath by nature as well as others.

Now the Apostle Paul affirmeth this to be e­qually the state of himself, who was born in the Church of Israel, as well as the Gentiles; and David doth affirm this of all in general, Psalm 14.2, 3. which the Apostle Paul urgeth in Rom. 3.9. forwards, speaking of himself and the rest of the National Churches of the Jews, What are we (saith he) better than they? meaning than the Gentiles No, in no wise, for we have before proved that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, as it written, there is none righteous, no not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God, they are all gone out of the way, they are together become abominable, there is none that doth good, no not one; And in Psalm 51. David saith, I was conceived in sin, and brought forth in iniquity; who was a child of the Church of God, as it is usually termed.

But beloved this doctrine is clear in Scripture, and clearly experienced by every Godly Christi­an, which truth must needs be overthrown, if the whole body of Israel were born adopted Sons and heirs of a covenant of eternal life, born heirs of Justification, then they were ne­ver heirs of wrath, nor in a state of damnati­on, nor never proved nor charged under sin nor [Page 73] never all unrighteous, because born heirs of a covenant of Grace, aad of righteousness, nor never born dead in sins and trespasses, for that is inconsistent with being in a covenant of grace and life.

This opinion of holding the covenant of grace, to be intailed in the flesh, opposing it self so directly against this forementioned foun­dation of Religion, must needs be a gross error so considered.

The second fundamental point of Religion, that this error opposeth it self against, is stabi­lity in a covenant of eternal life, it cannot be imagined, that I should much insist upon pro­ving this Doctrine of stability in grace, to be a fundamental truth, I shall take that for gran­ted from the nature of the new covenant, in se­veral Scriptures before recited, as in Psalm 125. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but as the Mountains are round about Jerusalem, so shall the Lord be about them, from this time forth, and for ever. And in Psal. 89.33. If thy children sin, I will afflict them, with the rods of men, but my loving kindness will I not utterly take from them, nor suffer my faithful­ness to fail; My covenant will I not break, nor al­ter the thing that is gone out of my mouth.

But taking this for granted to be a truth, that all born in the Church of the Jews, were born heirs of his stable Covenant; and so were re­ally and in truth in the covenant of grace, then most of the Church of Israel that were in a co­venant [Page 74] of grace, were damned and not saved, as Isaiah 10.22, 23. Though Israel were as the sand of the Sea, yet a Remnant of them were saved only. And so Isaiah with Rom. 9.27, 28, 31. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteous­ness, hath not obtained to the Law of righteousness. Paul saith, Rom. 11.5. There was a Remnant accor­ding to the election of grace, and in verse 7. how they obtained it, but the rest were hardened, all but the remnant, were blinded, and har­dened.

Therefore if such multitudes, as the sand of the Sea, were all really in a covenant of grace, most of them must be understood to fall out of the covenant, and so to fall out of the covenant of life.

This is another fundamental truth, that this opinion is fully against, defending that souls may be truly in a covenant of eternal life, and yet pe­rish and be damned.

The third foundation that this error over­throws, is, The necessity of Conversion or Re­generation, which doctrine is eminently con­firmed by Christ in the Gospel as a fundamental truth, John 3.4, 5. where Christ speaking to Ni­chodemus, tells him, th except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot en­ter into the Kingdom of God. And likewise in John 8.24. Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall dy in your sins, And John 3. two last verses, He that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him, and he shall not see life.

[Page 75]The before mentioned errors that holds a co­venant of life running in the flesh upon the car­nal seed opposeth it self against this for might the carnal seed of Israel say to Christ, why do you preach such a doctrine to us, That except you be born again, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? We affirm the contrary, seeing by the first birth we have an interest in the covenant of grace, and eternal life already, without belie­ving and being born again, and so are entered into the Kingdom of God, and the privileges thereof. Whereas you say, That except you be­lieve that I am he, you shall dy in your sins? why doth Christ pronounce death without be­lieving, seeing we are acquainted with another way to enter into life, than the way of believ­ing, which is to be begotten of one of the church or a believer?

We find the Holy Ghost in the 1 John 5. saith, He that hath Christ hath life, he that hath not Christ hath not life. No, saith this error, there were thousands that were interessed in life, without having Christ, that is to say, by carnal generati­on; Saith the Apostle, There is no other name un­der heaven by which we can be saved but by the name of Jesus, Yea, saith this error, There is another name, by which we may come into a covenant of eternal life, and so to be saved; so that here lies the case, where Christ in the Gospel power­fully affirms no other way to life, but by believ­ing, regeneration, and coming to Jesus Christ; This opinion destroys all these testimonies, o­pening [Page 76] another door of entrance into the cove­nant of life besides this, and that by fleshly ge­neration, though Christ saith to Nicodemus, Joh. 3. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit; as if souls were infatuated, and had no ears to hear his plain word.

They of this opinion do defend the contrary, to what purpose should any man seek the con­version of any of Believers children; whether formerly of the nation of the Jews, or now the nations of the believing Gentiles; seeing they are born heirs of a covenant of eternal life, and so are in as good a state without conversion and believing and being born again, as any other soul by believing, and by new birth can be brought into?

This doctrine tends to justify the Rebellious Jews against John Baptist, and against Christ; the Sadduces and Pharisees came to Johns Bap­tism, Matthew 3. Saith John, O ye Generation of Vipers, who hath forwarned you to fly from the wrath to come? bring for [...] fruits meet for repen­tance, and think not to say within your selves, we have Abraham to our Father. John you see, would have this people to be converted to in­title them to this covenant of Grace, and so to baptism, which is an Ordinance of the same covenant, and not so much as think so errone­ously, as if being children to Abraham accor­ding to the flesh should intitle them to the same; therefore, saith he, think not within [Page 77] your selves, we have Abraham to our Father, and we are his children according to the flesh, and therefore we need not a work of conver­sion, or true Repentance, to intitle us to the privileges of the covenant, such as was bap­tism. And also in John 8.31. and forwards, saith Christ unto some Jews, unto whom he spake, If you abide in my words, then are you my Disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, and then you shall be free indeed. They answered him, We be A­brahams children, and never were in bondage to any, How sayest thou then, We shall be made free?

Where you may observe, these wicked ob­stinate Jews were of the same opinion, that they were in a state of happiness, good enough by generation by being Abrahams seed according to the flesh. Jesus answereth, Who so commit­teth sin, is the servant of sin, and the Servant abi­deth not in the house for ever. We find Christ afterwards tells these Sons of Abraham, that they were so far from being the adopted sons of God, in a covenant of life, that they were of their Father the Devil, and these same per­sons Christ speaks to in verse the 24. telling them, Except they believed Christ was he, they should dy in their sins.

Christ was far from this opinion, as to think that covenant of Circumcision to be a cove­nant of life, but he doth throughly reprehend them for this groundless confidence, which er­ror, [Page 78] was the main obstacle, that hindered the Jews from faith and repentance, because they thought it intituled them to happiness enough to be of the stock of Abraham, and to be born heirs of the covenant of Circumcision; This very rotten opinion was to them one of the De­vils sleights to lull them asleep in a carnal and unconverted condition they thought that need­ed not; which thought of theirs had been true enough, provided all the children of Abraham, had by generation, interest in the covenant of life, which other men could have no interest in without regeneration; But Christ you see presseth a necessity of conversion to these chil­dren of Abraham that at the present were as fully interessed in the covenant of Circumcision as Abraham himself, even to Nicodemus which was a Ruler of the Jews, Christ presseth a necessi­ty thereof to him, and also labours by a pa­rable in Luke 16. to convince those sottish Jews▪ that one might be the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, and yet be irrecover­ably damned; and therefore he brings in the rich man in Hell, speaking thus, Father Abra­ham I pray thee, send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue. And Abraham is brought in, owning him to be his Son, speak­ing thus, My Son remember, that thou in thy life time, receivedst thy good things.

Where you may observe, That the man in Hell, irrecoverably damned▪ owns Abraham to be his Father, and Abraham also doth acknow­ledge [Page 79] him to be his Son, My Son, saith Abraham, where you clearly see man may be a Son of A­braham, and yet damned; thou hadst thy good things in this life, but Lazarus his evil things. Ezekiel 18.9, 10. where a just man is presuppo­sed to beget a son that is a Robber, and a Shedder of blood, and that goes out in all man­ner of wickedness, and that in Israel.

Wherein observe, Abraham owns no other privilege belonged to the rich man by virtue of being the Son of Abraham, but what was in this life, or in this world; Hell was his best portion in the world to come, which if he had been born heir to the covenant of life, how then could Abrahams affirmation have been true?

Beloved, Let all ingenuous Spirits that are not willing to walk blind-fold, consider how contrary to the whole tenor of the Gospel this opinion is, and how destructive to this funda­mental principle of the Gospel, the necessity of Christ, of Regeneration, and destroys all sense of the necessity of conversion, and helps to harden men to destruction, as it did the blind Jews, who (as it appears) were fully blinded in the receipt of that opinion, that being Abra­hams seed, according to the flesh, interessed them in happiness and eternal life.

Fourthly, This opinion destroys the doctrine of the new covenant, and the nature of it, and the manner of Gods making of it with the soul; for to make a new covenant with the soul, is to [Page 80] write the Law of God in a mans heart, and in his mind, and to infuse saving knowledge and faith, by which God unites the soul to himself, and so pardons all his sins, and without any con­dition considered in the creature, binds over himself to be their God freely in Christ, and binds over himself to own them to be his peo­ple. And only thus, and no otherwise, is God said to make his new covenant, with a poor soul. Whereas this dream would seem to bear you in hand, that a whole nation may be in a new covenant, and have it made with them, and yet have none of all this work wrought in their hearts.

Fifthly, This opinion destroys the doctrine of Justification by faith in Christ, only seeing that it doth hold out another way than by faith, to come to Justification, which is by carnal birth of beleeving parents; for if a soul be ad­mitted into a Covenant of life, I hope you are not ignorant, that Justification is a great pri­vilege in the new covenant, and really the por­tion of all that are in that covenant.

Sixthly, This opinion destroys the Doctrine and foundation of all Gospel Churches where it is held which will appear by two things.

First, It destroys the matter of the Church, you know that this is a fundamental truth, that the matter of the Church ought (now under the Gospel) to be Saints by calling, 1 Cor. 1.2. Spi­ritual Worshippers, John 4.23. Lively Stones, 1 Pet. 2.5. Such as are redeemed from their vain conversa­tion, [Page 81] 1 Pet. 1.18. Such brought out of darkness into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2.9.

Now this error destroys the truth, or oppo­seth it self against the truth of God, lying in all these Scriptures, it brings in the nation of be­lievers, all born of their body, their seeds seed in their generation, if you will be faithful to this principle, whereon this seems to be ground­ed. For the covenant of Circumcision was not only to the next generation immediately flow­ing from Abraham, But to thy seed after thee in their generations: And we see in that generation in Christs time, they were as well called Abrahams seed, as Isaac himself was, and they did call A­braham their father.

Therefore if the covenant of Circumcision, shall be mans patern, we must necessarily have a Church that is national, consisting of succeed­ing generations for many hundred years, com­ing out of believing persons loins, and so set up the partition-wall again, between the natu­ral branches, and those that are wild by nature: So that this tenet doth of necessity destroy the true matter of a Church, because it unavoid­ably admits into the Church all the unconverted and unregenerate children, born of the bodies of such persons, that either are or have been ac­counted believers.

And as it destroys the matter of a Church in admitting such that are not made Disciples, so it occasions such as do believe, remaining in that opinion, to live in that sin of neglect [Page 82] of the Lords Baptism; contenting themselves with that counterfeit of Baptism which they had in their infancy; So that this evil opini­on occasions the constitution of a Church or Congregation of good and bad promiscuous­ly, and all these unbaptized both the good and the bad; and what light in the Gospel have you to justifie such an Assembly, to be the true Church of Christ, that doth consist of some Religious people, in the Judgement of Charity, and a world of carnal children admit­ted and received in among them, and all both the carnal and the religious never baptized with the Lords baptism?

I do deny such an Assembly can be owned an orderly Church of Christ. Thus you see, what a great error this is, that opposeth it self against so many fundamental points of the Gospel.

But may some say, though we receive in chil­dren by baptism into our Church, we do not admit them unto the Supper. The Question is, when you will admit them? See what an untroden path you are run into; Do you own your children to be in a covenant of Grace, and eternal life, and inrighted into the privi­leges of the same? and is Baptism the privi­lege of the new Covenant, and not the Supper also? if it be, how dare you keep them from their right and privilege, I pray you? how long did the Apostles baptize their members, be­fore they admitted them to the Supper?

[Page 83]If you look in Acts 2.41, 42. you shall find so many as gladly received the word of God were baptized, and presently they continued in the Apostles doctrine, Fellowship, breaking of Bread, and prayer, as soon as they were bap­tized.

Therefore you have no ground at all upon any pretence, to suspend such members that you own privileged in all the Ordinances of God from the Supper, which you have recei­ved into your Church by your supposed bap­tism.

Thus you may see, what horrible Conse­quences flow naturally, from maintaining a Covenant of eternal life in the flesh.

Seventhly, This opinion, defends another gross error, That persons may have right to a covenant of life, without union or in-being in Christ by faith; it is a sad thing that souls that profess knowledge In the Gospel, and to be preachers of the same, should be so blin­ded thus to mislead people in so weighty a point as this is, and that should endeavour to leaven thousands of poor people with such a sad error that opposeth it self against the very substance of the Gospel, in holding all the whole Nation of Israel to be in a cove­nant of eternal life, and also the carnal chil­dren of believing parents, among the Gentiles, though they had no union by faith in Christ, the greatest part of them.

I come to the third thing, which is to prove [Page 84] that the covenant of eternal life,The third ge­neral general head. never was nor shall be made with any, but such as be­lieve, or such as are in Christ: and for the bet­ter clearing of that you must understand that as soon as the seed of the woman was promised, to wit, Christ Jesus, which was the whole of the new covenant, all promises being Yea and Amen;Somewhat of­fered to prove that God pre­sently upon the Fall made an outward carnal cove­nant entailed upon the flesh. and spiritual and heavenly blessings being given in him, this being one main point then to be made known to the Sons of men, that he must come out of the woman; You must, I say, understand that the Lord did pre­sently make an outward covenant, which was typical intailed, upon the flesh out of which the Messiah should come.

But I must confess, this is not held forth so clearly till the time of Abraham, nor then so clear, as it was afterwards by the hands of Mo­ses; But it is clear to me, that in substance the same covenant of Ceremonial obedience, which was given to Moses when the people came out of Aegypt, the same was given to Adams ge­neration, upon the promise of Christ, which was to go on in the fleshly line, out of which Christ was to come, and this to continue, till he did come in the flesh, and then to cease. The reason that induceth me thus to judge is this,

I find Cain and Abel at the end of the year of daies bring their sacrifice, and the one brought the first lings of the flock, and the fat thereof. Thus did God command the same [Page 85] things to Israel by Moses, Exod. 34.19. & 13.12, 13. And you see Cain brought the first fruits of the ground, and we find this deliver­ed by Moses, as part of the covenant to the Jews in Deut. 18.4. & 26.2. for saith the Lord, Thou shalt bring of all the first fruits of the Earth, which thou shalt bring of thy Land, that the Lord thy God gives thee, Micah 7.1. Levit. 2.12, 14. Pro. [...].19.

Though ye do not here see from what rule Cain and Abel did thus do, yet we must take for granted, they had it from God, how else could Abel have performed his worship accept­ably, if he had not a ground to do it by faith, and it is certain he did it in faith, there­fore had he rule for the same, as Hebrews 11.4. And we find that in that time, there was a distinction of clean and unclean Beasts that went into the Ark.

Now what cleanness or uncleanness is here meant is by virtue of a Law; for certainly that Law which God gave to forbid such beasts and creatures was that which made one clean, and not another; and this Law was by Moses delivered in Leviticus 11. spoken of to Peter in Acts 10. Call not thou unclean, what God hath made clean: and likewise the eating blood is forbid­den, Gen. 9.4. or flesh with the life thereof; the same Moses gave Leviticus 17.10, 11. where blood is forbidden upon the same ground and reason.

We find Gen. 6.5. that God hints at a sin [Page 86] of the old world, for which he brought the flood, which was, that the Sons of God, mar­ried the daughters of men, seeing they were fair, which must needs be understood, there was a Law prohibiting Seths posterity to marry with Cains, This Law was also given by Mo­ses in Deut. 7.2, 3. We must of necessity un­derstand, these Laws were from God to Adam, and so to his Sons, and so in substance, the same was given to Abraham with some additi­ons, and the same by Moses, committed to wri­ting with further additions, but this is the re­sult, that I would come to, God having promi­sed the seed of the woman to come out of that flesh, did institute an external covenant of wor­ship, that the Lord did carry all along upon the flesh, or line, out of which the Messiah should come; and in which flesh, the Word would be incarnate, I understand upon the first pro­mise of Christ to Adam and Eve, God then made this made this Ceremonial covenant of Wor­ship with Adams family, therefore both his Sons were trained up as Worshippers, and this must needs be, because Cain was never in a covenant of Grace, nor we have no ground to judge, that he had ever any appearance of true grace in him, but God having no in­tent to bring his promised seed out of Cain or Abel, and also resolved there should be a world as well as a Church, he suffers Cain to murther Abel, upon which he rejects Cain with all his posterity, as a Fugitive and a Vagabond from [Page 87] what did he reject him? but from this Church Covenant of Ceremonial obedience and worship; but when Seth was born, God (as it appears to me) did renew a fresh Election upon him, and his seed according to the flesh, and the whole Race of Seth were Gods Church. God here­by teaching, that the Messiah must come out of that Family according to the flesh, and not out of Cains or his posterity, nor any o­ther.

And when God had destroyed the world by the Flood, then there was only Noahs Family, consisting of eight persons, being all of them, in this Church covenant of worship for a time, till God pitched a fresh election upon Sem by the mouth of Noah his Father, Gen. 9.26. where Ham and Japhet with their posterities are past by, though as truly the seed of believing Noah as Sem was. And this Ceremonial covenant of Works, goes on upon Sem till the time of Abraham; the world growing then nume­rous, God would have his Church in a more narrow compass, and more especially take un­to him that particular family out of which Christ should come, which was Abraham. So that by the way observe.

The main ground upon which God elects Abra­hams family into the outward Covenant with him­self, and not Lots, nor any of the rest of the Godly families then living in the world. It was not because Abraham was any more a believer or his family the family of a believer; for if so, [Page 88] then Lot, and his family, and all the godly mens families then in the world, had been ne­cessarily taken into the covenant of Circumcisi­on, because they and their families had been believers as well as Abrahams; for this is a sure Rule, if God give a promise or a command to any person, considered in such a capacity as a Believer, then whosoever is a Believer, that command and promise belongs unto them. I might by manifold instances clear this, as when God saith to Joshua, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee; This being not made to him un­der any other consideration, but as a Belie­ver.

The Apostle is bold to say, this promise is made to the whole Church of the Hebrews, Heb. 13.5. they being all believers as Joshua was, but this covenant of Circumcision now so term­ed was made with Abraham his seed and fami­ly,Why the co­venant of cir­cumcision made to A­braham and his seed, and not to others. and not upon this ground, because he was a believer, but because that Christ must come out of his flesh and line; therefore to confirm and ratify this to Abraham, that Christ should so come, and to point out to all the world, where they must look for and expect the Christ; God doth as much as say, in Abrahams loyns you must expect him, and no where else; For as Christ saith to the woman of Samaria, The Jews know what they worship, for salvati­on is of the Jews; therefore to be sure the Covenant of worship runs in that line.

But now Abraham had eight Sons, the one [Page 89] by Sarah, Gen. 21.2. the other by Hagar, Gen. 16. and six sons by his wife Keturah, Gen. 25.1, 26. to which he gave gifts, and sent away to the East Countrey from his son Isaac, and this Covenant of Works did belong onely to Isaac and his seed. For when God had in Genesis 11.17, 7. promised that he would be the God of Abraham, and his seed in their generations; and give them Canaan, in the conclusion of this co­venant he begins to speak to Abraham of a Son he should have by Sarah, and that she should be the Mother of Nations, as in Hebrews 11. Abraham being affected with his Son Ishmael which he then enjoied, saith, O that Ishmael might live in thy sight, as if Abraham should say, Lord I understand that thou hast made a Church Covenant with me, and my seed after me, taking my seed in their Generations into external Covenant with thee, O (as if he should say) that Ishmael might be the seed upon which this Covenant might run, where God tells Abraham that he had heard his prayer, that he would bless Ishmael with manifold outward blessings otherwise, but saith he, my covenant shall be with Isaac, meaning here, that outward covenant of Circumcision, where you have Ishmael, and the six Sons of Keturah with all their posterity past by, in this fresh Election of Isaac and his seed, which were only elected in this covenant.

Therefore the bond child, and the six Sons of Keturah, though as truly believers children, as [Page 90] Isaac was, yet they are all dismissed this covenant and privileges of the same.

The six Sons by Keturah, as you have heard before, Abraham gave them gifts, and sent them into the East Countrey. And when Isaac had two Sons in Rebeccus womb, God again made a fresh election of Jacob, and his seed in their Generations, passing by Esau, and his seed; for saith God, There are two Nations in thee, and two peoples; So he chose Jacob, considered as a Nation, and past by Esau, considered as another Nation; for it is plain from those words, there are two Nations, and two peoples, that the Election was a National Election, and a National rejection; and he saith, The Elder shall serve the younger; this saying the Elder shall serve the younger, is interpreted by Mal. 1. to be a lo­ving of Jacob, and a hating of Esau, laying his Mountain wast, that is, his Church-power or privilege, that he seemingly had expected to have been heir of, and the loving of Jacob, is meant the external electing Love, into the co­venant of Circumcision, according to that in Deut. 7.7. Speaking thereof the whole Nation, The Lord did not set his love upon you, not chuse you, because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you.

This Election, and this love, is equal alike to the whole nation of Israel, therefore so con­sidered you must mind, this is, as I said before, only an external election of Jacob, and these in [Page 91] his lines, into the National covenant of Cir­cumcision, as before in Genesis 18. he saith, In Isaac shall thy seed be called; the meaning as the 17. Chapter expounds, is this; that the seed in their Generations, that God would continue the Covenant of Circumcision upon, was that seed which was to come out of Isaac, and not that which came out of Ishmael, and the six Sons of Keturah, none of them or their seed, were to be of that great Nation which God promised to make of Abraham, for the Lord saith to Abra­ham, Gen. 18.18. I will make a mighty nation of thee.

Now by this Nation you must understand, is meant the National Church, taken into the Covenant of Circumcision, whereas in the spi­ritual covenant, all the Nations were to be blest in him, and he is to be the Father of mul­titudes of Nations, Gen. 12.3. & 17.4, 5. but this Covenant of Circumcision, must not relate to any but to those that came out of Isaac, with his family, and then those that came out of the Loins of Jacob, with his Family, though this be a true literal interpretation of these Texts and really the proper mind of God, yet there is a mystical and spiritual sense pointed and driven at, which Paul, that infallible A­postle, did clearly give out from those Texts in Romans 9. That as Isaac typed out Christ so this temporal seed elected in Isaac, typed out this spi­ritual election in Christ; the temporal seed in a temporal covenant elected in Jacob, points out the [Page 92] choice of Christ and all his seed into a spiritual covenant.

So a spiritual election in these Texts, was ty­ped and figured out, as the Apostle doth clear­ly maintain. The Apostles not being the Mi­nisters of the Letter, but the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. but most true it is, That Jacob, and the whole Nation in him, were elected into an outward Covenant, and Esau, and his seed were not, but were refused and past by. And consider now in the womb, was Jacob and his posterity any more the seed of a Believer, than Esau and his seed were? Sure it is, he was not: Therefore away with that error taken for granted, that the covenant of Circumcision was made to believers and their seed.

This covenant of Circumcision you may clearly see, was not made to Abraham, nor to his seed considered as a Believers, but upon this ground or reason, that the Messiah was to come of Abraham, not of Lot; the Messiah, was to come out of Isaac, and not of Ishmael; nor of the six Sons of Keturah, and Christ was to come out of Jacob and his posterity, and not out of Esau. Here you may nakedly see, how great­ly they mistake, that think the covenant was made to Abraham and his seed considered as be­lievers and believers seed.

If a National covenant was made with Abraham and his seed according to the flesh, out of which flesh, the Messiah was to come, and that upon this reason then you cannot conclude, that the [Page 93] covenant can belong to any Gentile and his seed but upon the same ground. Therefore if you would tell where to find a Gentile now among many others that were to have Christ to come out of his loins according to the flesh, then you would have the same ground to say, that in like manner a Church covenant should run upon him and his seed, untill Christ were come out of that flesh or line.

But when Christ was come and fully exhi­bited in the flesh, then the ground upon which this Covenant was given, being ceased,To defend a Covenant of life, entailed on the flesh, is vertually to deny that Christ is come in the flesh. the co­venant also ceaseth. Therefore for any man to go about to defend a covenant in the flesh, it is a do­ctrine virtually denying, that Christ is come and fully manifested in the flesh.

Therefore you may from all that hath been spoken, draw this Conclusion, That there was ne­ver a Covenant of eternal life, made with any but with such as did and do believe, all along till Christ, not since.

Therefore see that objection answered, that the spiritual privileges, are not less under the Gospel, than under the Law, though we deny all the carnal Generation, to have any right to the covenant of Grace or privileges there­of; both then as well as now, the offers and tenders of the Gospel we must confess, were to that Nation; and in that sense, they were called the children of the Prophets, and of the covenant Acts 3. and latter end, and in that respect [Page 94] now the privileges are larger, because all na­tions are in the same sense, the children of the Prophets, and of the covenant, now since Christ came, the Prophet and Minister of God, ha­ving Commission now to publish the Gospel or new Covenant to all Nations.

None have right to the Covenant of Grace, but such as are u­nited to Christ by faith.But further, to prove that none have right to a covenant of Grace or life, but such as had and have union with Christ by faith, is most plain.

First, Because as you have heard, the new Covenant was confirmed of God in Christ on­ly: Gal. 3.17. And all the promises are in Christ Yea and Amen.

Therefore this Covenant cannot belong to a­ny soul out of Christ, because they are Yea and Amen in him, 1 Cor. 11.25. This Cup is the New Testament in my blood saith Christ, If the New Testament be in Christs blood, then what hath any carnal or unbelieving wretch to do with this Testament, that have not faith in his blood.

And further we do find in Matth. 3.17. the Lord saith, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; mark the words, in whom; then to be sure out of him, he is not well pleased; that is, in respect to this especial well pleased­ness, or electing love in the covenant of life, according to that in Ephesians 1.6. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved; out of the beloved there can be no acceptation, Therfore it is said, God accepted Abel and his offering, [Page 95] Gen. 4.4. The Author to the Hebrewe ch. 11.4. tells you, Abel by Faith offered a more acceptable or excellent Sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness, that he was righteous; So by Faith in the promised seed he came to be righteous and accepted of God, as you have heard in Ephes 1.3. God hath blest us with all spiritual, and heavenly blessings in Heavenly things in Christ Jesus; Therefore no heavenly or spiritual blessing can belong to any out of Christ; for as in Adam all dy, so in Christ shall all be made alive; There is none made a­live, but those that are in Christ, for the wick­ed mens resurrection is not said to be to life, but to damnation, 1 Cor. 15. [...]1. with John 5.28, 29. And therefore in thee shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed, Gen. 18.18. must imply thus much, that out of Christ the true seed, all the Nations should be accursed, Gen. 12.3. with 22.18. Gal. 3.8. I must confess it is a sad thing, that at such a time of the world as this, where the means of grace and knowledge of the Go­spel hath been so plentifully held forth, that we must be forced to bestow such pains to prove, that men cannot be in a State of salvation and acceptation before God in a covenant of grace, without union in Christ by Faith. But howso­ever, considering that the Apostle saith, There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved, but by the name of Jesus, and a particular faith in him, Acts 4.12. and there­fore Peter saith in John 6.69. Whether shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, he is the [Page 96] way, the truth, and the life, John 14.6. There is none can come into the Fathers love and mercy, nor into the covenant of life, or any spiritual privilege, but by him, he is the narrow way that leads to life, and few there be that find it, as Matth. 7.14: therefore saith the Apostle, He that hath Christ hath life, but he that hath not Christ, hath not life; but all the carnal unbelieving children, from the foundation of the world unto this day, have not Christ, therefore not life, that is to say, nor the covenant of life nor the justifica­tion of life, which every man must needs have, that is in that covenant of life. We find that all the Patriarchs and holy men of God, by faith and patience, inherited the promises, and not by generation, Heb. 6.12. and 11.12. there­fore sprang there, even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the Stars in the sky for multitude, and as the Sand which is by the Sea shore, innumerable, these all dyed in Faith.

This text speaks of that spiritual and belie­ving seed of Abraham, which he considered as believing and faithfull, Abraham was the Fa­ther of, according to Gen. 15.5, 6. so shall thy seed be.

Secondly, It further appears, that the cove­nant of eternal life, was never made with any but such as believe, because all unbelievers both of Jews and Gentiles are charged under sin, Romans 3.9. and have the wrath of God abiding on them, John 3. last. Yea though of [Page 97] the seed of Israel and children of that cove­nant of Circumcision, to them Christ saith, Except ye believe that I am he, you shall dy in your sins, John 8.24. And the Gospel tells the na­tional Church of the Jews, John 3.18. That those of them that beleeved not, were condem­ned already because they believed not in the only begotten Son of God.

Which clearly proves, that none of them were in a covenant of life by Generation, for if they had, then the want of conversion, would not have damned them, nor left them in a state of damnation.

Further, doth not Christ himself, call and account the unbelieving Jews the world? when he saith to his disciples, If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. And this world that Christ chuseth his disciples out of, and that hated his disciples as they had formerly hated him, are but the Nation of the Jews, that were in that covenant of Circumcision, which plainly proves, that all unbelievers in that nation were the world, and therefore not in a covenant of Grace.

And again, it must needs be so, because the Apostle saith in Romans 4.16. therefore is it of Faith, that it might be by Grace, to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed.

Observe from the Text, if the promise, or covenant, or any spiritual privilege, should [Page 98] be intailed upon the flesh, or conveyed any way then by Faith, it could not be by Grace.

And again, Faith is the first differencing Grace, to difference Gods peopl from all other, Acts 15.9. and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith, there­fore it is impossible the covenant of grace, can be made to any other but such as have faith. And again, I find none counted the Spiritual seed of Abraham, unto whom the covenant of life belongs, but them that are in Christ by faith, as Gallat. 3.28, 29. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither Bond nor Free, nei­ther Male nor Female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus, and if you be in Christ, then are you Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise, and so Rom. 4.14. If they which were of the Law be heirs, Faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect, meaning thereby the Covenant of Circumcision, as appears in ver. 10. & 11. and so in Romans 9.7, 8. Not because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, they are not the chil­dren of God, but the children of the promise, are counted for the seed.

Where you see, that the Apostle doth deny that seed of Abraham, that were only his chil­dren according to the flesh, to be the spiritual seed; but such as are born of promise, or be­gotten by promise, they are accounted for the seed chosen in him, and united to him by Faith.

[Page 99]These were pointed and figured out by the National and Temporal seed, that came out of the Loins of Isaac, those Souls there born in the house, and bought with money, were in the outward covenant and privileges, but these regeneate and born again by promise, are the Heavenly seed: So the heavenly gene­ration are such only born from above; and this is that the Psalmist speaks of in Psalm 22.30. A seed shall serve him, and it shall be accounted to him for a generation.

For the Temporal Israel, and the typical E­lection of them into the temporal covenant, did point out this Spiritual Election in a Spiritual Covenant, confirmed of God in Christ Je­sus.

Further it appears, that none but such as believe, are in a covenant of Grace, because without faith, it is impossible to please God, Heb. 11:6. therefore Abel by faith, had his per­son and his offering accepted, Gen. 4.4. but Cain and his offering being not in faith, God accep­ted not, for all the thoughts of such a man are only evil, and that continually till they believe, as Gen. [...].5. and 8.21. All the imaginations of all believers till converted are evil, and only evil continually.

Secondly, their words are evil, Matth. 12.34. O Generation of Vipers, how can you being evil speak good word, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, an evil man out of the evil Treasure of his heart brings forth evil things, [Page 100] and as their thoughts and words are evil, so in like manner, their actions are all evil, natural actions, as eating, Job 20.23. When he is eating to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath up­on him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating; thus you see natural actions are evil, such as eating and drinking for satisfying his hunger, and also civil actions are evil, as Prov. 21.4. an high look, and a proud heart, and the plough­ing of the wicked is sin; if plowing, then all his civil actions, and also his best duties of wor­ship, as his sacrifice is an abomination to God, Prov. [...]8.9. & 15.8. Isaiah 1. with 66.4. Upon this ground it must needs be, that the Covenant of Grace and eternal life cannot belong to any such persons that do not believe, for it is im­possible to be in a covenant of Grace, and yet not to have persons nor any of their best actions accepted.

Yea further, all mankind are compared to beasts, till they believe, Job 11.11. Vain man would fain be wise, but man is born like a wild Asses Colt, with Jeremy 2.23, 24. Yea the Lord saith in Revel. 21.8. That the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murtherers, and whore­mongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Lyars, shall have their portion in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Beloved, therefore if any have been so deluded as to believe such a notorious error as this is, to think that any ever hath been in the Covenant [Page 101] of life, but such as are in Christ by faith, I desire God may give you repentance for maintaining such a fundamental error as this is.

And now in the fourth place,Answers to such Scrip­tures as are alleged to prove the baptism of in­fants. I shall endea­vour to answer such Scripture allegations, and those especially brought▪ in from the New Testa­ment to countenance this error; wherein I shall endeavour to take off those false and corrupt Glosses that are usually put upon them, where­in men pretend to prove the covenant of grace among the Gentiles, to run in the flesh and line of believing parents under the Gospel; which I am sure was never yet since the world began nor never shall be with any neither parents nor chil­dren, but such individual persons, that parti­cularly believed in Christ with their own hearts. And first let me speak to that in Acts 2.39.An answer to that text Act. 2 39. which is usually pretended to be a proof of the cove­nant in the flesh, the words are these, The pro­mise is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Now I pray you take notice how evident this Text makes against this error. For this Text af­firms only the promises to belong to so many even as God shall call, and that is a fundamental truth, if by promise you understand the gift of the Holy Ghost, or remission of sins, or both, to be promised in this text.

It is most true, that so many as God shall call, have an interest, both to Christ and all the pro­mises in him, and only they, for saith the Text, Re­pent and be baptized every one of you for the remis­sion [Page 102] of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost. So that remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost, it is safe to understand here to be meant that pro­mise that is said to belong to them, to their chil­dren, and to those afar off, even so many of them, and their children, and of those afar off, as the Lord our God should call; agreeable to the words thus understood is Rom. 8.30. more­over whom he did predestinate, them he also called, whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified; So that justification or remission of sins, is here given only to called persons; with these agreeth that of Heb. 9.15. For this cause he is the Medi­ator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgression that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of the eter­nal Inheritance. So here you see, that those that are predestinated to have a covenant of life, and the blessing given in that covenant, are first cal­led, as 1 Pet. 2.9. He hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. Now this text is plain, to prove that those Jews and Proselytes that then heard him, and their children, and also the ten Tribes new afar off, and also the Gentiles, the promises did belong to so many of all these as God should call, and except Souls be given up to a Spirit of Delusion, will any dare to affirm, that the promises of the Spirit, remission of sins, and eternal life, do belong to any other? Will any be so ignorant as to judge, that those pro­mises [Page 103] did belong to the Generation of the Jews whether they were called or not, though they continued in unbelief and hardness of heart and impenitency? Is not such a corrupt interpreta­tion against Christs words to that very people? John 8.24. Except you believe that I am he, you shall dy in your sins, speaking to these very Jews: and doth not John the Baptist say to these, John 3. last, He that believeth not the Son▪ shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him? direct­ing this speech indeffinitely to the generation of the Jews, the seed of Abraham, such as were in the covenant of Circumcision.

But if by the children you understand, so ma­ny of them as God should call, whether then at that time, or afterwards to the end of the world, it is most true, that to such of their chil­dren the promise of grace did belong.

But Beloved, the Scripture is in nothing more full than in this, that the promise of grace be­longed not to any of those Iews seed, but such as were called; for God shuts them under unbe­lief, and because of unbelief they were broken off. Rom. 11. if unbelief excluded them from that external relation, which before Christs death they then had in the Covenant intailed on the flesh, and Christ coming in the flesh, and ful­ly exhibiting and putting an end to that cove­nant, no other covenant standing in force in the Church of God, but what Christ was the Mediator of, these unbelieving Iews of necessity were bro­ken off. The promise of remission of sins was so far [Page 104] from running upon the unbelieving Jews, the true fleshly seed of Abraham, that the Apostle Paul affirms the contrary, Acts 19.9. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them; and Acts 13.45, 46. But when the Jews saw the multitude, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things that were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming, then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life? Lo, we turn to the Gentiles, for so hath the Lord commanded us, and v 50. the Iews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, but they shook off the dust of their feet against them; and therefore Paul is plain in Rom. 11. saying, That God had a cer­tain number that were of the eternal election, among the Iews, those obtained right to the remission of sins, and the rest were blinded and hardened, but it should seem to be the general understanding of those that urge this Text for a covenant in the flesh, That if they were the seed of the Jews, though they were not called, nor did not believe, but were hardned in their continuance in unbelief, yet this promise of remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, belongs to them; and this interpretation, that this Text must have to defend a covenant in the [Page 105] flesh, which I leave to any intelligent man to consider, how greatly erroneous it is to affirm that the promise of the remission of sins belongs to the unbelieving and hardened children of the Iews, that God hath nor, nor doth call. So that you may clearly see, that the truth lyes in this text, that the promise is to no more of Fathers nor children, nor those afar off but such as God by his especial grace doth call to be the Sons of of God by faith.An answer to that text 1 Cor. 7.14.

Another Scripture made use of or rather a­bused and wrested to defend this error, is 1 Cor. 7.14. The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctifyed by the believing husband, else were your children un­clean, but now are they holy, whence is gathered by those of that opinion, that this holiness is (as they call it) a federal holiness, of a covenant holiness, that is to say, God having taken the believing parent with the child into covenant with him­self, the child is in this sense holy, that is cove­nant-holy.

Now for the better understanding this Text, I pray consider how, and in what sense, God takes persons into Covenant with himself; and that as you have heard is two waies, either he takes souls to himself in a typical covenant, so he took Israel to himself in that covenant, and in that sense they may be said to be separated from the rest of the World, which separation of them from the rest of the World to himself is a holiness that the carnal Iew was only partaker [Page 106] of, such a typical and legal holiness, that peo­ple being separated from all other nations in the world to God in this covenant: now the word holy signifies so much as separating or setting a­part, and in this sense the Vessels of the Tem­ple were holy, as also the Priests, being by Law set apart from the rest of Israel to offer the bread of their God.

Now in the 2^d. place, there is also a new covenant or a covenant of life, that God takes a people to himself, which is to write his Law in their hearts, & in their minds, to sanctify thē, to justify them. Now this internal holiness which God as an ef­fect of that Covenant infuseth into the heart, is only this new Covenant-holiness, for there is no other holiness that relates to the new Cove­nant; when the heart and the inward man shall be purified through faith. And when the whole heart and affections, are by the powerful work of Gods grace, separated from sin, and those va­nities below to heaven and heavenly things, this is the only holiness that the covenant of eternal life conveys to souls. The Hypocrite may have this in appearance, but the elect and chosen have this only in truth; he puts no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith, and he hath by one offering for ever per­fected them that are sanctified, Heb. 10. this san­ctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth goes alwaies together, 2 Thes. 2.13. Therefore it is impossible that this should be the meaning of the Text, that all believers carnal seed, are in a [Page 107] covenant of eternal life, and so have their hearts purified and sanctified through the work of the Spirit and faith, before they are born, and in this sense, are born holy.

I know no other sanctification the Scripture speaks of belonging to a covenant of grace and eternal life; and for that external or typical ho­lyness in an outward covenant it cannot be, be­cause that was abolished through Christs death, as appears in Heb. 8.9. chapters, therefore far be it from the Apostle to intend here, the coun­tenancing of any such erronious opinion, as that every believers Child was by virtue of his first birth, internally holy with that holiness of truth, as the Apostle calls it, Ephes. 4.24.

If you please therefore, hearken to the true meaning of this text, which is to this effect: The Corinthians having sent several doubts and questions to the Apostle to resolve and answer, as appears in the first verse of this chapter; he answereth them particularly, and it seems among the rest, they had a Jewish question started, ground­ed (as we suppose) upon Ezra 9. Deut. 7.2. where you find it was unlawful for a Jew to marry with a stranger; therefore Ezra caused all those men that had taken them strange wives, to put them away, as not lawfully married, because contrary and against the Law given to them, therefore they were to put them away, and the children born of them as illegitimate and unclean in an unlawful fellowship.

These Corinthians it seems, did propound in [Page 108] writing to the Apostle this question, whether such of them as had unbelieving husbands and wives yet reimaining in idolatry might lawfully abide with them in that fellowship in the marriage-bed, and whether that fellowship were not un­clean and unlawfull, as in Ezra's time?

Unto this question the Apostle answers verse 12. To the rest speak I, not the Lord. If any Brother hath a Wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with thim, let him not put her away, and the woman which hath a husband which believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him; But also might they say; why is not our marriage fellowship unclean? Therefore in ver. 14. saith he, The unbelieving wife is sanctifyed (as the Geneva Translation hath it) to the believing Husband, or else were your children unclean, but now are they holy. As if Paul should say, the reason why I would have the believing husband to a­bide with the unbelieving wife, is this, because the unbeliever (now since the partition-wall is down between Jew and Gentile) may justifiably be a wife to a believing Husband, there being now no Law in the New Testament against such marriages, especially considering their marri­age was transacted, when they were both Idola­trous Heathen.

Now it being taken for granted their marriage was lawful in these words, The unbelieving wife is sanctified to the believing Husband, and that it be understood, that the unbelieving husband is by the Law of Marriage sanctified to, or set a­part [Page 109] or separated to, or made holy to the believ­ing wife, the Law of marriage having separated him from all other women in the world to be to her, and her only, else were your children un­clean, Mark, saith the Apostle, Else were your children unclean, but now are they holy, that is, if the Law of God did not set the unbeliever apart to the believer, and so justify their fellowship in the marriage bed, then would the children be­gotten in that fellowship, be unclean and base born, but now they are holy, that is, now they are begotten in holy wedlock according to the holy law of marriage, not as those children were in Ezraes time which were unclean: So that from the unbelievers lawful and sanctified abode with the believer, doth the Apostle con­clude the children to b [...] clean or holy. And thus all children of Heathen are in the same sense holy, that are begotten in holy wedlock, for as the fellowship of man and woman in the bed being not according to the Law, is called fornication, uncleanness and unholiness, so the fellowship of any two persons even of Heathen, being according to that Law of marriage, it is then clean or holy, and so the children begot­ten in that fellowship, are said to be clean or holy begotten. But there was none doubted of the holiness of the Heathen, they never having any law to prohibit their marriage together, but now the Jews having an express Law against ma­rying with any other nation, it was legally un­clean or unholy, to match with any such, or to [Page 110] bed with any such that were not Jews or Prose­lytes.

Now that Law you must mind, was part of the partition-wall between Jew and Gentile, which is abolished since Christs full exhibition, so then take the sense of the text thus:

That first the Apostle bids the Believers conti­nue with the unbelievers or Idolaters.

Secondly, adding this reason, because their fellowship is holy.

Thirdly, From an absurdity, which would else follow, and that is, Else were your children unclean, but now are they holy.

An answer to that text Rom. 11.16, 17.In the next place let us speak to that in the 11. of the Romans 16, 17. made use of by some to prove a covenant of eternal life in the flesh, the words are these, For if the first fruits are holy, then the Lump is also holy; and if the Root be holy, so are the Branches; and if some of the Branches are broken off, and thou being a wild Olive-tree art graf­ted in among them, and with them partakest of the Root and fatness of the Olive, &c.

The usual exposition is, That this root is A­braham, and these first-fruits, are Abraham, I­saac, and Jacob, and these Branches are to be un­derstood, the body of Israel that came of their Loins, as the root and the branches. And so the Jews (through unbelief) with their generati­on were broken off, and so also the Gentiles with their Generation and seed are brought in. This last Clause which mainly serves for their purpose, they bring in by head and shoulders, [Page 111] that the Gentile and his seed is brought in. What is there in that text which will countenance that clause, if it be truly examined?

But let us consider this Text, and see what it will afford to prove a covenant of eternal life, to life, to run in the flesh of believing Gentiles, for that is it the Text must prove, without the which in vain it is alleged. And for the better exa­mining of the same, we will take for granted, that by root, is meant Abraham, and by First-fruits is meant Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which are spoken of: If so, then you must of necessity di­stinguish Abraham, as the Apostle doth, as be­getting and working Abraham, and as believing and faithful Abraham, and so thus you must un­derstand, Abraham in a two-fold Covenant, as hath been before cleared. Wherein he was in a double sense holy, as he was in that absolute co­venant of grace, so considered, he was spiritu­ally holy, and considered as in the covenant of works, that conditional covenant made with him, he was legally holy.

Now all the Nation of the Jews being sepa­rated by God from all other Nations in and by the same Covenant, are in this sense holy, as Abra­ham was, and as he was holy in a Covenant of life with a spiritual holiness, so only those of the spiritual and believing seed as his branches in that sense can be said to be holy.

And the like may be said of these Patriarchs who as the first fruits, consider them in the spi­ritual covenant, so they as the first fruits may be [Page 112] said to be spiritually holy. So by the Lump you must understand that seed in that covenant, to be only spiritually holy, as the first fruits were. But if you consider them in the covenant of works, the external National covenant as the first fruit in that covenant were legally holy: so were the whole lump, that is the whole Nation of the Jews thus holy, till that covenant was abo­lished and put an end to; and then this covenant intailed on the flesh of Abraham, being put an end to or abolished, it must needs be that the branches must be broken off, viz. such as only by nature or birth had an Interest to that cove­nant, or joining only to the family.

And the distinctions of the Covenants and seeds being here observed, it will inlighten the soul to understand this place We find this di­stinction carryed on, in the beginning of the chapter. viz. two covenants, and two seeds, and both in the Church of Israel, such as some would call the covenanting seed. There were two seeds amongst the external covenanting seed, there was the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, as for exam­ple, The Apostle speaks of the whole body of Israel, then of a select number out of Israel, which God foreknew, and therefore brings in the case of Elias, 1 Kings 19. where God had in Israel 7000. selected from the rest of the same body of Israel in the outward covenant with him; And also in the Apostles time he saith, That there were a select number, according to the election of grace, [Page 113] which God had chose out of Israel: Then saith he, If by grace, then not by works? if by works, then not by grace? Where you hear the Apostle clearly distinguisheth two seeds in Israel, as two cove­nants; the one a conditional covenant of works, the other of grace, an absolute covenant, as in the 4, 5, 6, 7. verses of that 11. of the Romans; and so the main drift here of the Apostle, is to hold forth, that though God did now cast off from being his Church, the carnal seed, that were only in the covenant of works, this covenant standing no longer in force, but growing old and vanishing away, as in Heb. 8.13. in which cove­nant he chose this nation to himself; yet never­theless, the Apostle doth affirm, that God had a remnant that were elect, that should be called of that natural seed of Israel, even to the end, though for the present, the greatest part were hardened in unbelief. So that when he saith the branches were broken off, we are not to under­stand, that such of them as related to Abraham as a Father or Root of Believers in a Covenant of grace, were broken off; For then we should hold falling away from and out of a Covenant of life; which would be a gross error: but the branches were broke off from the Root, considered in that national covenant of Circumcision which was a Covenant of works, that carnal people might really be in, as you heard before. This National Covenant now ceasing, (as I have shewed) and being put an end to by Christ, he becomming the substance of the same covenant, [Page 114] and that being the partition wall at that time, between Jews and Gentiles.

But the Apostle now affirms in Gal. 5.6. and 6.16. That Circumcision availeth not any thing, nor Ʋncircumcision, but a New Creature and Faith that worketh by Love; therefore all of the Jews that be­lieved not, ceased to be members of Gods Church. Because now Abraham is no way considered as a Father and a Root in the Gospel Church; but as faithful and believing Abraham in a Covenant of eternal life, therefore unbelief now cuts off the nation of the Jews.

Why had not unbelief cut them off many hundred years before? The answer is plain, for so long as the typical covenant of works stood in force, Is­rael by being of that family or that generation, whether they had faith or no, or any appearance of grace or no, were interessed in that covenant and in the privileges thereof.

But now when Christ was fully exhibited in the flesh, and that covenant ceasing and the co­venant of life (now) only remaining, it becomes so that only those branches and that lump of be­lievers, the spiritual lump only remain in the Church whether Jews or Gentiles.

So that if you will seriously mind the scope and drift of the Apostle, you shall see, that the Lump and the Branches, here intended, must needs be holy, because the First-fruits and Root are holy, which is meant those of Gods spiritu­al elect of the Jews that he would call, to the end of the world, which since is confirmed in the [Page 115] 28. verse, For saith the Apostle, As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes, meaning the Gentiles, but as touching the election they are beloved for the Fathers sake. Not as if God hated these rejected Jews for the sakes of these Gen­tiles properly, or loved a certain number of the Jews for their fathers sake properly.

But thus for the Gospels sake they became e­nemies, that is, the Gospel promise or Cove­nant, having (as you have heard before) respect to all Nations, Gen. 12.3. Gen. 22.18. with Gal. 3.8.

Now this Gospel Covenant being not capable to be divulged to all Nations so long as this ex­ternal electing love to the Nation of the Jews was kept on foot in that Covenant of Circumcision, being a partition-wall, therefore this bond of fa­vour and frendship, being broken in this exter­nal covenant, they came to be enemies, because of the accomplishment of the promises of the Gospel to the Gentiles, that those beloved e­lected of the Jews, and ten Tribes even are be­loved for their Fathers sake, meaning for the promise sake, made to their fathers concerning their calling, which must needs be accomplished, Isaiah 65.23. for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their off-spring with them, meaning all such elected off-spring, as this 11 of the Romans speaks of the calling, For saith the Text, As touching the electi­on they were beloved for the Fathers sake, so that for [Page 116] the promise sake made to their Fathers, they shall in time be actually elected with an eternal elec­ting love.

But to mind this Scripture further, it makes exceedingly against any fleshly covenant running in the fleshly line of the Gentiles, because that these words in verse the 20. to the 24. do declare that the Gentiles came to be Abrahams spiritual seed, and so a branch of that stock, only by faith in Christ that fat Olive; For if you are Christs, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs ac­cording to promise, Gal. 3. last. And as it is said the Gentiles are graffed into this stock or root of Abraham contrary to nature, it must needs cut off such a conclusion as, That all believing Gentiles seed shall come by nature into this Stock. It being not only against the whole scope and drift of this place, but against the express words which saith, the Gentiles are graffed in contrary to na­ture, and stand by faith, and further that unbe­lief broke off the Jews.

Now this would be a strange riddle (in my judgement) first to conclude, that the whole nation of the Jews were in a Covenant of eter­nal life, and yet never had faith, no not so much as visibly for the greatest part of them.

Secondly, That they were broken off, from a Covenant of eternal life, and why? because of unbelief. And yet nevertheless, believing Gen­tiles their unbelieving seed, in the midst of his unbelief is grafted in.

This in substance is what is drawn from this [Page 117] text for proving a covenant in the flesh. But let any impartially judge, how much a shame it would be, to wrest Scripture so contrary to the Scope and meaning. For this chapter shews, that there were two seeds, two covenants, one of Grace, or the Gospel, the other of works, and that men could not obtain aright to this Gos­pel Covenant, but by vertue of election, and that meerly of grace, the other covenant of works, and the fleshly seed in this Covenant, were broke off; that is, from any privilege comming from Abraham according to the flesh, that fleshly covenant being put an end to, by Christs being come in the flesh: All unbelieving Jews upon that ground cease to be Gods Church, much more unbelieving Gentiles; for if unbelief broke off the Jew, be sure it will as effectually keep out the Gentile, as it is clear it doth, be­cause they stand by faith only, and are graffed in contrary to nature, and it is said, the Jew, if he abide not in unbelief, shall be graffed in again.

From all which it is plain, that there is no other way now under the Gospel to come into, or stand in the house or Church of God but by faith, neither for Iew nor Gentile: and so far is the Apostle free from concluding, that the Gen­tiles come in by nature, that he affirms the con­trary, that he is graffed in contrary to nature. Plainly holding forth, that all both Iews and Gentiles, in a state of unbelief, were excluded from those privileges.

For (as before hath been proved) the ground [Page 118] upon which the covenant of Circumcision was made unto Abraham, and his seed according to the flesh, was not because he was a believer; but because Christ was to come of that line accor­ding to the flesh.

If you could find out any Gentile under the Gospel, out of which the Messiah should come, according to the flesh, then there were the same reason and ground, that an external typical co­venant should run in his line or flesh, till the Messiah were fully exhibited.

But I hope none will be such an Anti-christ so highly to deny Christ come in the flesh, seeing Paul saith, Henceforth we know no man after the flesh, for saith he, We have known Christ after the flesh, but henceforth we know him so no more.

That men were known, that is, approved as privileged persons in Gods Church by being in that covenant intailed in the flesh of Abraham, viz. that covenant of Circumcision; But from henceforth we know no man, no not Christ himself should be minded, as standing interessed in that covenants he being now known, to be one receiving a more excellent ministery, than the Ministry of Circumcision, a better covenant grounded upō better promises Heb. 8.6, 7. the fol­lowing words confirm this Exposition, Therfore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature, old things pass away and all things become new, compared with Gal. 6.15. It is not Circumcision availeth any thing, &c. therefore we are not now to know men accor­ding t the flesh.

[Page 119]No not Christ as come in the the flesh circum­cised and by virtue of that privileged in the Church. But we are now to know him as fully exhibited, and (as before) a Minister of a bet­ter covenant grounded upon better promises.

So that this 11. chapter of the Romans doth so little serve to countenance the covenant of e­ternal life to run in the flesh, that it exceedingly makes against it, cuts it up by the Roots, affirm­ing no other of the Gentiles or their seed to be graffed into this stock or root, but contrary to nature, which he expounds to be by faith.

Therefore take the whole drift and scope of that place, and you shall have two seeds, two covenants, a certain select number out of those that were in the old Covenant, elected into the new covenant, the rest of all the body of Israel in that old Covenant were blinded and harden­ed, and never obtained an interest into the new Covenant.

And when Jesus Christ the Substance of the old Covenant was come, then that ceasing, and now but one covenant remaining, the cove­nant of Gods Church its of necessity only believers and spiritual seed now can remain in the Church. Hereupon, all the unbelieving seed of Jews and Gentiles, are utterly exclu­ded out from the Church, and Church-privi­leges which never was so long, as an old ex­ternal covenant stood in force.

The next Scripture Text,An answer to that text, 1 Cor. 10.1, 2, 3. brought in for de­fence of the Covenant in the flesh is, 1 Cor. 10.1, [Page 120] 2, 3. verses, Moreover Brethreen, I would not have you ignorant, how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud, and all passed through the Sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea, and did all eat of that spiritual meat, and drink of that spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritu­al Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

This is another Scripture which is made use of to prove a Covenant of Salvation to run in the flesh.

But beloved, the drift of the Apostle here is (as it is throughout the Scripture) to give out the mystery and substance, that shadows typed out to come, according to that in 2 Cor. 3. We are not Ministers of the Letter, but of the Spirit; meaning, that the main thing which the Apostles did hold forth in their Ministery, when they had to do with types and shadows was, to set forth the substance or Spirit, or heavenly things that was pointed at, and so here.

Beloved know this, that these were all types and ceremonies here spoke of, belonging to the carnal Jew, therefore saith the Apostle, They were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea; He doth not say they were all baptized into Christ, but unto Moses, which is a main passage I would present to you.

You must understand Moses was a solemn type, he was a Saviour to save them out of the Land of Egypt, their present bondage, into Canaan: He was a Mediator of that temporal covenant, [Page 121] Gal. 3.19. and in this did Moses type out Christ; the temporal Covenant, did type out the spiri­tual and heavenly covenant, and the temporal Israel did type out the spiritual Israel.

This temporal redemption of Israel out of E­gypt into Canaan, typed out the spiritual redemp­tion from sin, Bondage, the World and Devil into that heavenly Canaan.

The Covenant that Moses was the Mediator of (you have heard) was the covenant of Circum­cision, which is before cleared to be a Covenant of works, delivered in substance to Abraham, but after committed by writing to Moses, as Act. 15.1. where the Teachers did command them to be circumcised and keep the Law after the manner of Moses, compared with John 7.22. Moses therefore gave unto you Circumcision, not be­cause it is of Moses, but of the Father: In Acts 15.1. It is said by the false Teachers, That except they were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved; Those Teachers were of the same opinion with these in our daies, who hold that the Covenant of Circumcision, was a Covenant of life, and therefore concluded, such persons out of it could not be saved; their con­clusion was (doubtless) answerable to the pre­misses, For if that Circumcision had been as they judged it, a Covenant of eternal life, then [...] of it none could have been saved. Therefore it is said in the 5. verse, Certain of the Sects of the Pharisees that believed, did say, it was needfull to Circumcise them, and to command them to keep the [Page 122] Law of Moses; And in the tenth verse it is said, Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the necks of the Disciples, which neither our fathers nor we are able to bear; which was the Covenant of Cir­cumcision, which on Gods part, was the pro­mise of the Land of Canaan, with all the good things thereof, and the external privileges, as protection and preservation. And on their parts, they were bound to keep the Law, therefore you shall find that Ezra and Nehemiah, entered into an oath and a curse with the people then to keep this covenant on their part, as that Nation were bound to do.

And this was that Covenant which the false Teachers perswaded the Gallatians to be a Cove­nant of life, and that they could not be saved without it, which covenant the Apostle Paul called the flesh, in Gal. 3.3. meaning that Cove­nant which God had established in their flesh for an everlasting Covenant, as he so calls it, Gen. 17.13. This shall be my Covenant in your flesh, saith the Lord, for an everlasting Covenant; Therefore saith Paul in Rom. 4.1. What shall we say that A­braham our Father as appertaining to the flesh hath found; if Abraham were justified by works? Mark his Exposition of that Covenant, appertaining to the flesh to be a Covenant of works, which in [...]e 10. verse he clears to be Circumcision, in opposition to that Gospel promise, which A­braham had before he was circumcised, and so he doth all along in that Chapter. Herein the 3. of Gal. he doth set the Covenant of grace [Page 123] and that of works in opposition, the one he calls the Spirit, the other flesh, which he most evidently explains in Chap. 5.1, 2, 3. where saith he, Stand fast in that liberty which Christ hath made you free, and be not intangled again with the yoake of bondage.

Here observe again, that he calls it as Peter doth Acts 15.10. a yoke of bondage, which is evident that they were set at freedom and liberty from as that which was abolished, and they freed from as a yoak, which neither they, nor their Fathers were able to hear, as appears in Gal. 5.1, 2, 3. Behold I Paul say to you, if ye be cir­cumcised Christ shall profit you nothing: Nay in v. 3. For I testify to every one that is circumcised, that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law, and in ver. 4. He sets it in opposition to the covenant of grace, and this is explained more in Gallatians chap. 6.12, 13. verses.

Now all this considered, you may clearly see the Covenant of Circumcision made to Abra­ham and his seed in their Generation, that he would give them Canaan with the blessings there­of, and in that sense, be their God, to protect preserve and externally to privilege them with the means of grace, and tenders of the Gospel, and the external blessings of Canaan, upon con­dition they would be circumcised and keep the Law.

All these things are typical, this deliverance out of Egypt, typing out the deliverance out of Hell. That temporal Israel after the flesh, that [Page 124] were redeemed out of Egypt, typed out the spi­ritual Israel that were redeemed out of the spi­ritual bondage, and (as before hath been said) Moses then a temporal Redeemer, Mediator or Saviour, typed out Christ the spiritual Media­tor and Saviour, therefore in the 1 Cor. 10.6. The Apostle tells us, these were our figures or types.

So this being premised, we have the sense of the Text here plain, that as the spiritual dis­ciple or Israelite when he believes and confes­seth his faith, thereby shewing his interest in Jesus Christ, is baptized into Christ Jesus the Mediator of that Covenant, which he is in by faith.

So the temporal Israel by birth, or being bought with money, or cohabitation in that family of Israel, comming to have a right to the Covenant of Circumcision, whereof Moses was the Mediator, they were likewise baptized unto Moses, in the Cloud and in the Sea, that being as real a confirmation to them of the temporal deliverance from Egypt into Canaan by the hand of Moses, as our baptism is a confirmation to the spiritual Israel of their spiritual deliverance by Jesus their Mediator from death and con­demnation to eternal life.

And whereas the Apostle calls that meat spi­ritual meat, and that drink, spiritual drink, he here speaks figuratively, as before affirmed; Not that the Manna eaten by the whole Nati­on of Israel, was in it self spiritual, but it was [Page 125] a figure of the spiritual bread, therefore Christ saith to the Jews in John 6.32, 33. Verily, verily I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Observe that word Giveth, not did give, but giveth for the bread of God is that which co­meth down from heaven, and giveth life to the world.

And therefore saith he, My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven, that is, the substance of that shadow; and so that rock was Christ, meaning a figure or type of Christ.

What is all this, Beloved, to the proving of a Covenant of life, running in the flesh, either then or now, to the Gentiles under the Gospel? seeing it is clear, that all these Ordinances (as the Apostle calls them Heb. 9. Carnal Ordinances) did type out, or figure out, spiritual and sub­stantial things. For their sacrifices for sin, ty­ped out Christ, but they were not Christ, and their typical remissions, which they had by their sacrifice, That remission I say, which the whole body of Israel had by offering up their sin-offer­ing can be understood to be no other but typi­cal.

A man might be under that typical Remissi­on, and yet ne under the wrath of God and be damned, and a poor Gentile, at the utmost part of the Earth▪ believing as Rahab did in Canaan, as truly justified, though he had none of this typical remission, and none of these be­fore mentioned figures, so that we conclude [Page 126] the whole Nation of the Jews had not a covenant of eternal life in the flesh made unto them, though they had a temporal typical covenant, as I have all along called it, that is, consisting of such Laws and privileges that had not Christ in them, but did point at him to come; therefore they are called in Heb. 9. Patterns of Heavenly things, but not the very things themselves. They are called by the Apostle, Beggarly Ele­ments or Rudiments of the World, or a School-ma­ster to lead to Christ. The Jews literal obedience to the Law, typing out the obedience to faith, Deut. 30.12, 13, 14. with Rom. 10. from v. 6. to the 10. ver.

Now, beloved, the literal obedience in it self performed by the carnal Jew, though it fi­gured out the substantial obedience, viz. faith in Christ, and though the Rest in Canaan, typed out the spiritual Rest in Christ, yet I hope no man will be so absurd, but he will confess, that this litteral obedience, it was not the spiritual obedience, and that this rest in Canaan it was but a shadow of that rest in Christ, not the very rest it self.

But some may say so of baptism, and the Supper, that these are the signs of inward and spiritual things, but it doth not follow, that these are the spiritual things.

Beloved, Observe warily, for here lies the ground of this great mistake, the want of di­stinguishing between these figures that type out Christ to come, and these Sacramental signs, [Page 127] that do confirm and ratifie his being already come.

Those typical signs and figures then, which typed out Christ to come, did properly belong to that typicall seed the body of Israel, that ty­ped out the spiritual seed to come.

But now these signs, I say, these Sacramentall signs that are instituted since Christ came, for the confirming he is come, these belong only to the spiritual seed, in whom Christ is come already dwelling in their hearts by faith.

Therefore as Christ is a spiritual and substan­tial Mediator of a Substantial and spiritual cove­nant, so these spiritual Administrations of the spiritual covenant, belong only to such as are in Christ, and this new Covenant by faith, and that have Christ dwelling in them, as hath been be­fore in the former part of my discourse, mani­fested.

In the new Testament, Faith and Repentance, are required of them that are to be baptized, Here is Water what letteth? If thou believest with all thy heart it is lawful, Acts 8.38. implying it was unlawful to baptize any, that did not believe with all their heart, at least in profession. And so when Christ dispenseth the Supper. He commands it to be received by his Disciples, Matth. 26. He saith to his Disciples, take eat, and he said to his Disciples, Drink ye all of this, and Paul saith, Examine your selves and so eat of this bread, and drink of this Cup.

If you will not shut your eyes against the [Page 128] light; there is nothing more plain than this, That those administrations, under the old co­venant, did not require such qualifications, as are essentially requisite to be found in the per­sons, that must partake of these substantial signs of the new Covenant.

As for Circumcision, it was not necessary for all that were circumcised, to believe and repent, or to have faith in Christ, or to be converted and made Disciples by preaching, as necessary Qualifications to partake of the Ordinances. But the institution in Gen. 17.13. saith, All born in thy house, or bought with thy money; though ne­ver so ignorant, carnal, or have never so wick­ed parents or parentage, yet such ought to be circumcised, this institution running upon that family.

But baptism is a confirmation of our Regene­ration already wrought in us, and our new birth, and our union with Jesus Christ by faith, and therefore belongs only to them, where this Regeneration is, to them that are born again of Water, and of the Spirit, and so the Passeo­ver was to be partaken of by the carnal Isra­elite after the flesh, viz. the captive, the slave bought with money, Heathen, Black Moor, or of the Canaanites; but the Lords Supper only belongs to Disciples able to discern the Lords body by faith, without the which they bring Judgement upon themselves, and make them­selves guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, except they are able to examine themselves, [Page 129] Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cap. So that which the Apostle drives at in this chapter, is this principally, that as the temporal Israel who were the Church of God then privileged in that temporal Covenant upon their falls and sins, were by God visited and corrected, to shew to all the world, that he would not countenance sin in them, without sad reproof, so he concludes in this also, the Gospel-Church professing the covenant of grace, and enjoying the privileges thereof, they should not escape if they turn a­side from God, and sin against him without checks, reproofs and sad admonitions from him, and here lies the scope; and the rather might such caution be given to Gospel churches, because they were in a covenant of Grace onely by a visible profession, and therefore may pos­sibly receive the greater danger by sin if their profession should not be right and saving.

Object. But some may object, That there were some precious Saints then in the Old Testament, and do you think that they did not perform the Ordinances with spiritual hearts?

Answ. No question such did, as it is said of Abel, By faith he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

Duties performed from faith with an eye to Christ were then acceptable, when so performed, though ceremoniously, and such duties relating meerly to the covenant of works.

Only I would have you to observe, that the [Page 130] carnal Israelite was without faith capable to per­form every ceremonial Law,Faith made not Israelite capable of performing the ceremo­nies of the Law. required by the old covenant according to the express tenor thereof, as truly as the believer.

So in no wise can it be said of the duties rela­ting to the new covenant, either then or now; as repentance, spiritual prayer, thanksgiving, and divers other duties perpetually at all times, and universall to all Saints: I deny that the car­nall Jews were capable of the true performance of these, I mean as to answer the Rules or In­stitutions given. For if you look to the Cate­chism in the Common Prayer Book, you shall find that it was a maxim, received by all that own that Liturgy, That no less than a professi­on of faith and repentance, was required of them that were baptized.

Whence observe, they thereby confirm the doctrine that I have been all this while pleading for, that none but such as have Faith and Re­pentance in their hearts, and do profess the fame should be baptized.

Object. But may some say, Did not some bring their freinds to Christ to be healed, and Christ seeing the faith of those which brought them healed them? And if they believed for others, to the healing of their bodies, why not also then for the saving of their souls?

Answ. This is directly the Papists Argument, with which some do close rather than part with their Idol. But to speak to this more particular­ly, There is nothing more plain, than that God [Page 131] did give gifts of healing to many, as that the faith of one contributed to the healing of the body of another, as their Servants and children, as in the case of the Centurion, in Matth. 8.7, 8, 9. verses, and Jairus the Ruler over the Synagogue.

But this is no way to prove that one man should come to have union with Christ, and so to have justification and eternal life by the faith of another.

For in this case the Prophet saith, The just shall live by his faith, Hab. 2.4. Rom. 1.17. And he that believes not is condemned already, that is, every individual he that believes not, shall be condemned, and he that believeth shall be saved, but some do bring in that text in the 7. of the Hebrews, that Levi paid tyths in Abraham, therefore why should not souls believe and re­pent in their believing Parents, as well as Levi paid tythes in his believing Father Abraham.

It seems to me, that this Act of Abraham was performed as a publique person, in his paying Tythes to Melchisedeck, herein representing his Posterity; but not so in all the rest of his Acts; It doth not follow, that he believed and repen­ted for all his posterity: for this were a nota­ble ground indeed for Papists implicite Faith.

We know that Adam in his fall, did act sin as a publique person, in which all mankind are said to sin, Romans 5. But it doth not follow, that all the future Acts that Adam committed, he did perform as a publique person, for if all the po­sterity of a believing person so many generati­ons [Page 132] to come, as Levy from Abraham; did believe and repent in their believing parents; then there is no ground to oppose, that all the world at this day are believers, because they were all in the line of believing Noah, he being the father from whence all the world did proceed that are now living this day.

And again observe, that if the Covenant of life belongs to all believers seed, then we need not want for Church-members; because all the world are the children and off-spring of belie­ving Noah, and this argument carries the right of Covenant to all the world, being the chil­dren of a Believer, viz. Noah.

An answer to that text Mat. 19.13.Further, some bring that in Matthew 19.13. There were brought unto him little children that he should put his hand upon them and pray, and the dis­ciples rebuked them, and Jesus said, suffer little chil­dren and forbid them not to come to me, for of such is the kingdom of God; and he laid his hands on them and departed.

In Mark 10.13. thus, And they brought young Children to him, that he should touch them, and his Disciples rebuked them that brought them, but when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God; verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not re­ceive the Kingdom of God as a little child, shall not en­ter therein.

From hence would some maintain a covenant of eternal life in the flesh, for that end they bring [Page 133] this Text, but let us examine what the meaning of it may be.

First, whose children they were, that were brought to Christ, doth not appear, its pro­bable they were the seed of Abraham, but what their mediate parents, whether believers or wic­ked persons doth not appear certainly, but by the former discourse in the chapter, it should seem they might be wicked and ungodly per­sons, for there were such mentioned before that tempted Christ, and asked him questions.

The next thing is, for what did they bring these children unto Christ? most certain not to baptize them, because Christ it is said, baptized not, but the Disciples, John 4.2. What then were they brought to Christ for? One Evange­list saith, He took them in his arms and blessed them, another saith, He laid his hands on them and pray­ed.

All which considered (in my judgement) it doth probably appear, they were brought to him to be healed of some disease, it being usual in those daies that by prayer and laying on of hands, they did heal the sick.

But the main expression in the Text, to be noted, is this, That of such are the Kingdom of God.

From these words some gather, that all the children of believing parents, do belong to the kingdom of God, and if to the Kingdom of God, then to all the privileges of that kingdom.

But (as you have heard) it will be very doubt­full, [Page 134] whether these children, had any believing parents to the fifth or sixth degree, for of such is the Kingdom of God, saith the Text, the which we must understand thus; That all the children born of the body of Believers, and that when little ones in arms, do belong to the kingdom of God, if you will make this text to countenance that error of the covenant in the flesh, the which is erroneous, as appears, in that the greatest number of believers chil­dren, never belonged in that sense to the king­dom of God, for Adam had a Cain as well as an Abel, Noah had a Ham as well as a Sem, Abraham had an Ishmael as well as an Isaac, Isaac had an Esau as well as a Jacob. And so I might menti­on all the Scriptures, wherein in like manner God doth as well bring forth the generation of the wicked out of the godly, and the generation of the elect, out of the line of the wicked, inde­finitely.

But if by Kingdom of God, be meant that condition or state, that men are interessed in, by virtue of a Covenant of eternal life, and that believers children should by birth and ge­neration belong to it, then this fully crosseth that doctrine of Christ to Nicodemus, Joh. 3.5. as was formerly spoken to.

Object. But some may say, Its possible that such a little child may believe, because in Matthew 18. 3, 4, 5, 6. verses, it is said, We should not offend such little ones that believe.

If you grant that some children, when little [Page 135] do believe, and therefore belong to the kingdom of God, to that I assent, let them be whose children they will, whether of Believers or Infidels.

If they believe they are in Christ, and so in­teressed in the Kingdom of God.

But what makes this, for the covenant in the flesh of carnal unbelieving seed?

Again, If by Kingdom of God should be un­derstood, the Jewish state or Church, and chil­dren here understood for children of that Jew­ish nation; then in that sense it is true, that all the children born in the Jewish Church by virtue of their birth in that family or nation belonged as members to that National Church, being in­teressed in the Covenant of Circumcision, which was the national covenant, and the privileges of the same, and were by natural birth interessed therein.

Answ. But the true and proper meaning of the Text appears plain to be here in Mark 10.13, 14, 15. compared together, for when he had in the 14. verse said, Of such belongeth the Kingdom of God in verse the 15. he presently saith, Verily I say un­to you, whosoever receiveth not the kingdom of God, as a little child, shall not enter therein, this I say interprets these words before, Of such as the king­dom of God; that is, of such like in grace, as these be by nature, such souls that are by Gods grace, subdued and brought into a child-like frame of spirit, they only are such as are of the kingdom of God, as for example.

[Page 136]When the Disciples reasoned who should be greatest among them, Christ set a little child as a patern of humility, innocency, and harmles­ness.

And also saith the Apostle, Be you children in malice, and old men in understanding, 1 Cor. 14. and saith Peter, As new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the word, that ye might grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. [...].

And so as there is a parity held forth, be­tween a man and his wife, and Christ and his Church, so in Scripture there is, between a child in nature, and a child in grace, as the natural begetting, the spiritual begetting, alluding to that, there is the natural birth and the spiritual birth held forth, by that sucking of the Mo­thers breast, and by sucking of the breast of Gods word.

A little babe we know in nature will trust to his parents, so the new born babe will trust in Christ; if the natural babe want any thing it will go to its parents and ask them for it, so must a new born Babe make his request known to God in all his Wants; If any thing hurt a babe, he will cry, and make his com­plaint to his Father; So the child of God, if any streight oppresseth him, he cries to God his Father; The natural child, will imitate his Father and his Brethren, so the new born babe imitates God the Father and Christ, and the rest (as it were) of his brethren; the new born babe when young, a little will content it, so [Page 137] should the new born babe in grace, be in all con­ditions and states content.

And this I understand, to be the proper meaning of this place, Of such is the Kingdome of God, that is, of such souls, that are spiri­tually qualified by Gods grace, answerable to little children in nature, Mat. 18.1. to 6. of such godly new born heavenly babes, is the kingdom of God.

And this Exposition agrees with the right scope of the place, and the true analogy of Faith.

And therefore I would have you seriously to consider, that this covenant of grace in the flesh, the whole word of the Lord disclaims it, and will give no countenance to any such notion, so destructive in its consequence, to the truth of God (as you have heard be­fore.)

Object. But some may object and say, But this which you call a Covenant of Works, consist­ing of Temporal promises, and also Laws and Statutes, you are not to understand that to be a di­stinct covenant from the Covenant of eternal life, but a form of Administration, that the Covenant of Grace was then administred in. And the car­nal children were not then interessed in the main privileges of the Covenant, as Adoption and Justi­fication, but the outward promises and privileges only made to their Fathers.

Answ. I know this objection some do bring, [Page 138] which if it be well weighed, is inconsistent with their own arguments.

For if this objection be true, then was there no covenant made to Abrahams seed, but onely an administration of a Covenant. And there­fore ill do they affirm, that the covenant was made to them, therefore the administration. But this doubtless is false, and this objection (as I said) is false and groundless, as appears by several express testimonies in Scripture which doth evidently prove two distinct covenants, as for example.

Saith God in Genesis chap. 17. and verse 7. And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their Generations, for an everlasting Covenant, to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Where observe, that the Lord doth not say, that he will establish an administration of the Covenant, with his seed in their generations, but his covenant, and Abraham and his seed, must keep his covenant; and in verse the 13. this my covenant, shall be in your flesh, for an everlasting Covenant, not this administra­tion of my Covenant, shall be in your flesh; and so in Hebr. the 8.6, 7, 8, 9, verses. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministery, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Co­venant, which is established upon better promi­ses.

Mark, (as I have before shewed at large) here [Page 139] were two covenants, the one upon better promises, the other upon worse promises; which must needs be understood temporal blessings, and deliverances, and privileges; Therefore he saith, they serve unto the Ex­ample and shadow of heavenly things; and in verse the seventh, if that first Testament had been faultless, there should have been no place sought for the second. And in the nineth verse he saith, that the old covenant they continued not in, therefore God regarded them not; and in verse the 12. in that he saith, a new cove­nant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth, and waketh old, is ready to vanish away; which Scriptures do evidence as clear as the Sun at Noon day, that there was a real covenant made with the Jews, made before with Abraham, but committed to the Church in writing by Moses, when he led them out of Egypt, and this Covenant they brake, said Jeremy chap. 31.32. and here the Apostle saith, they continued not in it, and the last verse saith, it was made old, and therefore vanishing away; and in Hebrews 9. there the Apostle calls this old covenant, that contained in it shadows and paterns of hea­venly things, the first Testament wherein the Apostle in verse 17. and forwards, doth shew there were two Testaments, the one confirm­ed by the blood of Bulls, the other confirmed by the blood of Christ. And if this were not [Page 140] true, then most falsly do such affirm, the cove­nant was made with Abrahams seed, therefore the privileges, if Abraham lineally had no co­venant made with them, but only an external and outward Administration and Privilege, &c.

Upon that ground there was no national Covenant at all made with Israel, but only an outward administration, and that being gran­ted to be Ceremonial, except you can prove another Ceremonial administration as carnal, as that administration was, now in force, there is not the like ground why carnal and un­believing children should have any share in it.

But that there were two covenants is most evident,An Expositi­on of that text, Gal. 4.21. &c. as appears in the New Testament, as I have formerly at large endeavoured to make good, only I shall add that in Gallatians 4.21. and forward, where saith the Apostle, Tell me, ye that would be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law, for it is written, That A­braham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman, but he who was of the bond-woman, was born after the flesh, but he of the free-woman was by promise; which things are an allegory, that is, by these things, other things are meant.

For these are the two Covenants, the one from Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar, for this Agar is Mount Sinai [Page 141] in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children, but Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the Mother of us all.

Now we Brethren as Isaac was, are children of the promise, but as then, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit; so it is now, notwithstanding cast out the bond-woman and her son, for the Son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman; So then Brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free. And in the next chapter he saith, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not intangle again, with the yoak of bondage, which he afterwards explains to be the Covenant of Circumcision Gall. 5. [...], 2, 3.

But to speak something to this text, Abra­ham here by the Apostle, is understood to re­present God by way of type and figure, as it were, his two women Sarah and Hagar, the two covenants of God; the two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, represents (as the text hints) the two seeds in these two covenants of God. Now Sarah the free-woman, represents the covenant of grace, and Hagar the covenant of Works; both these women continued in Abrahams house together for a time, the first child he begat by the strength of nature, without faith in a promise, of a bond-woman: The other he be­gat [Page 142] by faith, in a promise without strength of nature, of a free-woman; and the free-woman continued in Abrahams house with the bond-woman and her son without any Scruple, till Isaac was born and also weaned. And when the son of the bond-woman persecuted Isaac, the free-woman testifyes against the bond-wo­man and her son, and will have them no long­er to abide in the house with her son; Abra­ham likewise had first the free-woman, and the last the bond-woman. The free-woman was sometime barren in Abrahams house, but the bond-woman was fruitfull.

Now the mystery that the Apostle hints to be held forth in this History is clear, from which he speaks in this 4. of the Gallatians which must be this.

That God in like manner first made a cove­nant of Grace, even as Abraham first had a free-woman, which covenant (in a great measure) was barren, bringing forth no seed, or else to­tally barren as Sarah was, in respect of that substantial seed Christ Jesus, which Isaac ty­ped forth, as soon as God had made this cove­nant, he in the same house or Church hath al­so a Hagar, that is a Covenant of works, in which God hath abundance of seed, becoming his by strength of nature, without faith in a promise, and the Covenant of grace as Sarah (in a sense) becomes barren. All which time the covenant of grace and covenant of works [Page 143] both agree very well to be in Gods house toge­ther, but at the last, as the free-woman brought forth Isaac, so the covenant of Grace brings forth Christ Jesus without strength of nature, by faith in a promise, as in Matth. 1.21. Luke 1.35. and when this substantial seed is come, then the covenant of grace and works remain in Gods Church together: but afterwards when Christ the true Isaac was (as it were) weaned, that is, come to maturity, so as to appear, that he was now in the office of the Ministery, the Scribes and Pharisees with the high Priests, all the sons of Hagar, the old covenant, persecuted Christ, and those in him.

Whereupon the free-woman, or rather the free Covenant of grace, doth testify, that a co­venant of Works with her seed, shall no long­ger remain with her in the Church of God.

But now the free covenant and her sons, that is, the Covenant of grace only, and her chil­dren born by faith in a promise, onely must for a time forward remain in the house of God.

So that now rejoice thou barren that barest not, the Covenant of grace becomes fruitfull, having seed in all nations, therefore the Apo­stle saith, the Jerusalem which is above, which is free, is the Mother of us all, and those us or we, that were members of the primitive Church, were born from above by faith in a promise.

[Page 144]Therefore it is plain from hence, that there were no carnal babes in that Church. But when Christ, the true seed of the Covenant, was persecuted by the Jews, which were the chil­dren of the covenant of Works, the Gospel doth plentifully testifie the abolishing the Co­venant of Works, and the casting forth of those bond-children out of Gods Church, Acts 13.45, 46. But when the Jews saw the multitude they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blas­pheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it far from you, and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life, lo we turn to the Gentiles; for so hath the Lord commanded us. And as appears in the 11. chap. of the Romans, and as that 4. chap. of Gall. in express words saith in the 25. verse, this Hagar is meant Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children; this being so clear that the bond-woman, and her son, that is to say, the covenant af works, and all those rela­ted to Abraham only in a covenant of works, are cast out of the house of God.

How opposite then is their opinion to the truth, that still would have a fleshly generati­on to be in the house of God with their chil­dren.

But seeing the natural branches that truly [Page 145] were descended of the Line of faithfull Abra­ham might not have that honor; How much less the unbelieving seed of the Gentiles that are wild by nature.

Thus you see in brief this objection answered, and that there is no ground for childrens bap­tism, but an imagination, through thick dark­ness, upon the minds of people, they setting up this idol in their hearts, God hath answered them accordingly as the Prophet speaks in Eze­kiel 14.2, 3, 4, 5. verses, And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put their stumbling block of their iniquity before their face, should I be inquired of at all by them? therefore speak unto them, thus saith the Lord, Every man of the house of Israel, that setteth up his Idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and commeth to the Prophet, I the Lord will answer him that commeth, accor­ding to the Multitude of his Idols, that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, be­cause they are all estranged from me through their Idols.

Where you see, that when souls set up an i­dol in their heart, God doth answer them ac­cording to their idol, as he hath in this case suffering blind blindnes and uncertainty of judg­ment to befall them.

For such as defend childrens baptism, and the ablest I have met with, do grant they have no command or example in the New Testament for [Page 146] their practice, but ground the same on a con­sequence, which you have heard evidently pro­ved, is drawn from an error; For to affirm or maintain, that the covenant of eternal life, is made with believers carnal seed, is a dange­rous error, and therefore the consequence must needs be as false and rotten as that error from whence it is drawn, then judge you what a pi­tiful consequence that must be.

Take the whole result thus, Childrens bap­tism, hath no ground from the word of God, either Command or Example for it, but a conse­quence (as before) so that it is meerly a tradi­tion of men, setting up in the place and room of the Commands of God, to wit, baptizing of Believers. This groundless tradition, which makes void the commandment of God, even as the wicked Jews did in Mark 7.7. Howbeit, in vain saith the Lord they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, and in verse 9. He said unto them, Full well you reject or frustrate the commandments of God, that you may keep your own Traditions: and in verse 13. Make the word of God of none effect through your traditions which you have delivered, and many such things do you.

Now beloved, this is the very sin of such as defend this tradition, they thereby make void and frustrate the Commandment of God; where Christ saith, Repent and be baptized every one of you, that is, every one that repents; and saith Annanias to Paul, Arise now, why tarriest thou, and be baptized for the washing away of thy sins; and [Page 147] Peter to Cornelius his family, he there commands them to be baptised in the name of the Lord Je­sus, Acts 10.48. Those and many more stand­ing commands of the New Testament that be­long to believers and penitent persons are fru­strate and made void by christening children.

Thus poor souls are nursed up in a habit of disrespect and disobedience to these command­ments, because this invention takes the place and room of the same.

Do but consider how dangerous a sin this practice is, it is setting up a superstitious in­vention in the room of Gods command in his worship.

Now God and his Commandments, must not be separated; for a soul that rightly sets up Gods Commandments sets up and exalts God, and to set up any worship in the room of what is commanded of God, is in effect to set up a false God.

Do but see what sad Witnesses God hath given from heaven against this sin in Leviticus chap. 10.1, 2. where Nadab and Abihu, offered strange fire to God, as the text saith, which he commanded not, for which God burned them with fire from heaven; the Lord doth not say which he had forbidden, but which he commanded not. Many souls ask where God hath forbid this practice of childrens baptism, therefore I would prove by these Scri­ptures that things or persons in the worship of God in room of what God commands, are abo­minable [Page 148] to God. Hear how God doth threaten a people for this sin in Jerem. 9.13, 14, 15. And the Lord said, Because they had forsaken my Law which I had set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, nor walked therein, but have walked after the imagi­nation of their own hearts, therefore he saith in verse 15. He will give them to feed on Worm-wood, and give them Water of Gall to drink, and will consume them. Now this is the very case of such as set up this tradition, they forsake the Law of believers baptism set before them, and have ne­ver obeyed his voice nor walked therein; but have walked in childrens sprinkling, which the imagination of their own hearts have devised. This Text is very much applicable to such souls: the like evil wicked Saul is said to do, 1 Sam. 13.12, 13. verses, for which God rends the King­dom from him, and in Jeremy 8.9. The wisemen are dismayed and ashamed, lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them? there­fore will I give their wives to others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: And so in Jeremy 7.31. They have built the High places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their Sons and Daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not, neither came it in my heart: upon which he threatens destruction upon them.

And you see how God made a breach upon Ʋzzah for touching the Ark, God not comman­ding him, or giving him rule for such practice; God having given a command to the Priests on­ly [Page 149] to do that work, but not to him: So God hath given a command and example to baptize belie­vers only, and not children, therefore it is the sin of Ʋzzah, and likewise the sin of King Ʋz­ziah, 2 Chron. 26.14, 15. where you see the sad judgement of God upon Ʋzziah for doing that in the worship of God, which God had not com­manded, in the room or stead of what he had commanded, God struct him with Leprosie, and that in his forehead, and the hand of God pro­secuted him, as an admonition to persons that now dare adventure upon the like sinful pra­ctices, to offer any thing to God, as religious worship, which he hath not commanded, instead of what he hath commanded; the Lord in this case sets out himself to be a jealous God, that will visit the sins of the father upon the children to the third and fourth generation, of such as make to themselves any graven Image, that is, any form by which we will worship God; be sure it is of Gods own making, for we must not make it to our selves; the Lord doth call in Scripture such like worship, which men do in the room of Gods commanded worship. The Worship of Devils; I shall give you one instance for this in Scripture, as in Psalm 106.35, 36. and they served their i­dols which were a snare unto them, yea they sa­crificed their sons and their daughters unto De­vils, and the next verse expounding himself, it is said, they offered them unto the Idols of Ca­naan.

And in like maner, do not men bring their Sons [Page 150] and their Daughters in this case, and offer them to this invention of sprinkling.

You have for baptizing of believers the com­mandment of Christ, and testimony of the infa­lible Pen-men, and all men in the world owning the Scriptures to be the word of God, to be of the Lords own institution, but this practice of childrens sprinkling, God hath raised up in all ages some, that have professed Religion, to wit­ness against it, and a great part of those that have the power of godlyness do renounce it, as a sinful practice, and that upon substantial grounds. And me thinks when you consider that your Childrens sprinkling, hath no command or ex­ample in the Gospel to confirm it, and only such a consequence, that flows from an error.

I hope such as fear God will take heed how they harden their hearts, in the practice of so hei­nous a sin, and in the neglect of so solemn a duty as the Ordinance of Dipping Believers, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; for is there any man able to declare from Scrip­ture, that ever any solemn Ordinance of standing use in the Church of the New Testament, had for its institution, any less than a command of God, and a promise of blessing to the faithfull performance of the same; But there is for childrens baptism nei­ther command to institute, nor any promise to bless, but rather indeed, the performers of that worship, may expect a curse, and not a blessing in the performance of the same, as you have it [Page 151] in Psalm 99.8. Thou answerest them O Lord our God, thou art a God that forgavest them, though thou too­kest vengeance of their inventions, with Psal. 106.29. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions, and the plague broke in upon them, as it did in the 2 Chron 26.19, 20, 21. Then Uzzi­ah was wroth, and had a Censor in his hand, to burn Incense, and while he was wroth with the Priests, the Leprosy rose up in his forehead, before the Priests in the house of the Lord; from besides the incense Altar, and Azariah the chief Priest, and all the rest of the Priests looked upon him, and behold, he was leprous in his fore-head, and they thrust him out from thence, yea himself hasted to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah the King, was a Leper to the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, for he was out off from the house of the Lord.

Thus you see the sad curse of God, executed against such like inventions in the service of God that men set up in the room of Gods commands, thereby justling out his Commands, as the Scri­pture saith.

This is for a man to set up his Posts by Gods Posts, and in a sense, setting up himself in the place and room of God, and flowes from a­bundance of Pride; as here it is said of King Ʋzziah, preceding this his sin, his heart was lifted up to his own destruction.

Now most certain it is, That man Moses, was faithful in all Gods house as a servant in giving the Church then, exact and perfect rules, how [Page 152] they should serve God, unto which they must not ad, and from which they must not detract nor take away, Diut. 4.2. so Christ is every way as faithful over his house as a Lord, Heb. 3.4, 5, 6. and rightly to this purpose is applyed that in Col. 2.8. with 20, 21, 22.

For men to imbrace any worship to their God that they have not a rule for, it is in that chap­ter condemned, as will-worship, and traditions of men; and warily consider that it fosters men in a sinfull neglect of that holy and solemn Ordi­nance of Dipping believers.

Do not all our Protestant Authors in all their Disputations against the Papists, defend that Faith and Repentance precede Baptism, thereby confuting the Papists, that Baptism is not to convey grace where it is not, but to confirm Grace, and strengthen it where it is? and in that Catechism imbraced generally by all Protestants in the Common Liturgy in England, this questi­on being demanded, What is required of them that are to be baptized? The answer is, Faith and Re­pentance; which doth plainly manifest, that it was the judgement of all those that were Prote­stants, owning that Liturgy, that none ought to be baptized, but such as repent and believe, not only so, but that do confess faith and repen­tance, because in Baptism there is, as Peter saith, The answer of a good conscience, 1 Pet. 3.19. compared with Philip and the Eunuch, Acts 8.38: If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest? Saith the Eunuch, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of [Page 153] God. So in Acts 19. it is said, They came to the A­postle confessing their deads.

Now consider that this doctrine in all those times was defended, that faith and repentance, must needs precede baptism, why? because they concluded it a seal of the new Covenant, and therefore where persons were not in a Covenant by Faith, did in apposition to the Papists defend, they had no interest in baptism.

Now let any soul that is not blinded with the subtilty of Satan, and by means of the stum­bling block of iniquity, set up in his own heart, as saith the Lord in Ezekiel 14.4. Let such I say judge, how cross to this Doctrine they do pra­ctice, that do baptize, visible graceless and Christ­less children, so far as any man is able to judge.

Object. But some will say, I grant this, bapti­zing of children, is a meer tradition, and that not to be practised by Christians, and I do be­lieve in the primitive time, Believers only had this Ordinance dispenesd upon them: but I do conceive (saith the Soul) I have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, therefore I need not that Ordinance of Baptism by Water, and the rather, because I think that was Johns bap­tism, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost being come, hath put an end to that Baptism of wa­ter.

Answer, Then you deny in Judgement any Ordinance of Baptism at all, to stand in force, which is be sure an upstart opinion, exceeding [Page 154] cross, to the Doctrine of Christ in his Go­spel; but let me as warily as I can, answer this question.

First you do think it was Johns baptism, it is true, that John baptized or dipped into Water, those that came to him confessing their sins, and professing faith in him, that should come after him.

But though it is true, Johns baptism in this respect, pointing out Christ to come, is done a­way, yet it is as true, that the Lord hath afresh, since his death and resurrection, intituled this or­dinance of dipping believers into Christ already come and fully exhibited in the flesh, Matth. 28.19, 20. with Mar. 16.16. and Peter after, the Ho­ly ghost was in that extraordinary manner pow­red down upon him according to Johns Prophe­sie, to wit, with cloven fiery tongues, he doth after this, by the direction of the infallible Spirit, command all his converts that were prickt in the heart, Acts 2.38. to repent and be baptized every one of them for the remission of sins, and they should receive the gift of the Ho­ly ghost.

Where you may see, that this was baptism of Water; that he commanded all that repent to submit to, because the Holy Ghost, as those ex­traordinary gifts was to follow, to wit, those gifts that Joel prophesied of. And so in Acts 10. When Cornelius and his house had heard the word of God, the Holy Ghost fell upon them, and as an [Page 155] effect thereof, they spake with new tongues, and magnified God. And then saith Peter to them of the Circumcision, How should we forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we. So that this great Apo­stle was so far from this opinion, that he urgeth the contrary, that because they had received the Holy Ghost, and that in the extraordinary gifts, thereof, which John foretold, Christ should bap­tize them with, saith he, How shall we forbid water; plainly holding forth,, that it is baptism by water that he here is speaking of, and in which verse 48. he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, because they recei­ved the Holy Ghost, therefore they must not be denyed that Ordinance of baptism by Water, clearly holding forth, that the enjoying the Holy Ghost, was so far from being an argument why souls should not be baptized with water, that it is an argument, that they ought to be baptized more especially; and this appears in Paul after his conversion, which I understand, was wrought by Christ immediately.

For saith he to Annanias, Behold he is a chosen vessel to me, for he now prayeth, therefore say I he was now converted, as to the inward work of faith, changing his heart; But when Annanias came to him, he laid his hands upon him: and there were two effects of this, his laying on of his hands He received his sight, and was filled with the Holy Ghost and he arose forthwith and was baptized, that is to say, after he was filled with the Holy Ghost he [Page 156] arose and was baptized in water, Acts 9.17, 18. compared with Acts 22.16. When Paul had recei­ved the holy Ghost, Annanias saith, And now Paul why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, for the washing away of thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

Observe that Annanias had an immediate ex­traordinary commission from Christ by vision, to come with the message to Paul, and Christ in a vision bids Paul go to Annanias and he should tell him what he should do, and Annanias according to that Commission of Christ upon his being fil­led with the holy Ghost, commands him to be baptized. And this agrees with the Covenant of grace in Ezekiel 36.27. where the Lord saith, I will put my Spirit in them, and cause them to walk in my way, and Ezek. 11.19. I will give them one heart, and will put my Spirit within them, and will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh, that they may walk in my Statutes, and keep mine Ordi­nances to do them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Where you may see, that God is so far from giving his Spirit, to the end that souls should plead there­by freedom from the practice of those comman­ded Ordinances of Christ, that on the contrary, it is the end why God gives his Spirit to enable, and to cause them to walk in his way, and in his Ordinances, and in particular baptism.

And observe, the Apostles have not left us a bare example only, that they did baptize after that [Page 157] Christ powred out the Holy Ghost, and that by the authority received from heaven, but doth command it, as you have heard to all that repent and believe, and to all that receive the holy Ghost to submit to it.

But again, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and fire, that John foretold of, it is clear, was extra­ordinarily given upon an especial ground and rea­son fulfilled in Act. 2. The Holy Ghost falling down in fiery Cloven tongues in the sight and view of the bodily eyes, which was that outward sign; and that clear light, and fervent zeal, and love they had, in uttering the wonderful things of God in variety of strange tongues, was the inward thing signified: So that herein the baptism of the Ho­ly Ghost was an outward sign, and an inward thing signified; but there is now no man in the world hath this baptism, only it is true that the Spirit, in the saving gifts of faith, repentance, and the like, is held to be essential to the Ordi­nance of Baptism of water, and must be joined together with it, without which it cannot be said to be an Ordinance of God, there must be the inward grace, as well as the outward sign.

This Baptism that the Apostle according to Christs Commission hath left a standing Com­mand for, cannot be Johns baptism, his holding forth Christ to come, baptizing them in that do­ctrine; But in this we baptize persons in Christ already come and fully exhibited.

And though it may be objected, that the Apo­stles practiced some things that were abolished, as [Page 158] the circumcising of Timothy, and the like. We also say, that as they practised it among the Jews, so the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles saith, if they be cir­cumcised, Christ should profit them nothing, but they were faln from grace: and we never find that circumcision was practised among the Gentiles, that were void of all Religion before they taught them.

It is evident in the new Tastament, that Cir­cumcision is abolished as part of the Mosaical Co­venant, and yoke of bondage, Gal. 5.1, 2, 3. but the case in baptism is clean otherwise.

Whereas you hear the Apostle did press Corne­lius his family to be baptized, who was a Gen­tile never acquainted with Johns baptism, nor wedded to such a doctrine as that whereby we should think, that Peter did baptize them to con­discend to that error or weakness in their minds.

Again, he doth not only simply baptize them, as a Liberty that might be done or not done, but commands them to be baptized, and so doth, as you heard before he did, in Acts 2. and it can­not be said, that the Apostles commanded any duty to be done, with a promise of blessing to the right performance of the same, after the Holy Ghost came down upon them, but it must needs be a solemn standing Ordinance of God, that every soul upon pain of the guilt and rebellion against Christ his head and King ought to be sub­ject unto.

But this of Baptism, hath as aforesaid, many standing Laws left in holy Record, speaking to [Page 159] all that believe and repent, promising remission of sins, and salvation to the right performance of the same, which proves it to be a standing Ordi­nance of the new Testament.

And truly with the same reason Souls may af­firm, that Christ ceaseth to be a Mediator, as to hold the Law of dipping believers ceaseth, so much and no less is affirmed by the Soul that saith, the Or­dinance of baptism is an expired Ordinance, he may as well say, Christ is expired and abolished, as a a fleshly form, as some have had the confidence to say.

For as in the time of Moses Ministration, till there was a change of the Priesthood, there could not be a change of the Law, no more now, except there be another Christ and Saviour come, or a­nother Priesthood instead of this Priest and Mi­nister of the New Testament, assure your selves, there can be no change of this Law, as in Heb. 7.12, 18. Therefore such as pretend to profess Christ to be their Saviour, that came of the seed of David, and the same persons deny and slight this funda­mental Ordinance of Baptism, they do therein testify, that they reject Christ in their heart as abolished, and have got some pretended fancy-Christ instead of him; It is utterly inconsistent with the Faith of the Gospel, and with true Reli­gion, to hold baptism and the Supper two solemn Ordinances and Symboles of the new Covenant to be abolished; for in Ephes. 4. the Apostle pressing there a visible Church-union layes down the main things wherein that union consists, cal­led, [Page 160] saith he, by one hope of their calling, one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith one Baptism this one Baptism, cannot be meant the Spirit, because the Spirit is mentioned distinct, but baptism here must needs be meant that standing solemn Ordi­nance of God, commanded to every one that be­lieves.

Now the Apostle pressing here a Church Uni­on, doth mention these particulars that are essen­tial to a visi l [...] Church-union, without which they could not walk together, if not in these things a­greed, and where a people in all these particu­lars are one, no other thing coming should make a breach of their union.

Object. But some other souls will object and say, That Believers baptism is an Ordinance of God, and he thinks they do well, that are drawn out to practise it, by a power from God; But saith the soul I want a di­vine power upon my heart, drawing me out to the pra­ctice of the same, and that is the let and hinderance in me.

Answ. This objection is grounded upon an er­ror and a mistake, taking for granted, that a man may be a believer, and in a state of grace, and yet void of spiritual power to perform obedience to the Commands of God, and that a man that is a Christian may know such a thing to be a Com­mand of God, and yet left without ability to per­form obedience to the same.

I judge this is a dangerous error and contrary to Scripture; For God doth at the very first con­version, put his Law in the heart of his child, as in [Page 161] Heb. 8.10. and as in Ezek. 36.26, 27. God is said to put his Spirit in them to that end to cause them to walk in his waies, therefore in some measure doubt­less God doth give his people power to obey him, as in Ezekiel 11.19, 20. I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within them, and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will give them an heart of flesh, that they may walk in my Statutes, and keep my Ordinances, and do them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Whence you may observe, That Gods main drift in making his Covenant and giving his Spirit into the hearts of his people, is, that they may keep his Ordinances, and be able to walk in his waies.

Therefore at the first Conversion of Paul, God puts in him a disposition to obedience, for saith he, Lord what wouldst thou have me to do? in Acts 9. and so in Acts 2.37. when they (through the belief of Peters Sermon) were pricked at the heart, they cry­ed out, Men and Brethren, what shall we do? So you see there was a disposition of heart in their first Conversion, to be doing what God should com­mand and teach them to be his will; So we find God gives them power to submit as soon as his will was revealed, for if not so, we should lay an asper­sion upon God, that he should enter into a cove­nant with a Soul by way of engagement, and yet neglect to make good his promise, which is, to put his Spirit in him, and to cause him to walk in his waies.

And again further, God gives to every belie­ver, [Page 162] the power of believing, by virtue of which he is enabled to fetch virtue from Christ his head, to strengthen him to duty, and to resist sin; therefore the Apostle thus reasons in the 2 Cor. 7.1, [...]. Dearly Beloved, seeing you have these promises, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and per­fecting holiness in the fear of God.

Whence observe, the Apostle takes for gran­ted, the soul having great and precious promises, and faith to draw virtue from them, should there­by oppose sin and perfect holiness in the fear of God. For though it is true, God works to will and to do of his good pleasure, yet it is constant­ly and unfailingly his good pleasure, thus to work more or less, in a soul that is in him, thus by faith. And a believer by faith ought to look at himself in a capacity to draw Water out of those Wells of salvation; for else what difference between a child of God and a wicked man; the form of godliness and the power; if a child of God must be forced to live in a course of disobedience to the solemn worship of God for want of power to obey. And by the same rule we must take for granted, that a child of God may be in a state of Grace, and want power to resist sin, and upon this ground plead excuse for drunkenness, and covetousness, and theft or uncleanness and say, though he is a belie­ver, yet he wants power to resist and conquer these sins.

Beloved, thus for any to plead, would be very absurd and contrary to the truth, and the nature of a Christian in a state of grace. And further observe the deceit lying in this objection.

[Page 163]Hath not God given thy soul power to hear the word of God, and to read, and to meditate, and to pray, and that some times earnestly and fervently to God, and is it likely that there wants power, to perform obedience to this Ordinance of baptism, any more than thou doest perform prayer or other duties which require the same spiritual power, up­on due examination? what enabling power is requi­red in the one, more than in the other?

Again consider, thou dost in this, walk by sense, and not by faith (contrary to the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. who saith, We walk by faith, not by sight,) it is a very childish thing in a Christian to walk by sense only, when he feels strength and power sensibly, then he thinks himself able to perform duty, and resist sin; but when he feels not ability and power, then to neglect it: Whereas contrary to this, Christ saith to Paul in the 2 Cor. 12. My power shall be made per­fect in your weakness, my grace shall be sufficient for you, and as after, Paul expresseth himself, When I am weak then am I strong.

When Paul was made most sensible of his own weakness in himself, then was the time for Paul to be made most strong by Faith, in the strength of a­nother. Therefore in Isaiah 45.24. In thee Lord have I righteousness and strength In him shall they boast. And the Psalmist saith in Psalm 73 [...]4. Though my heart fail and flesh fail, yet God will never fail, he is the strength of my life, and my portion for ever; So that when in a mans own sense, his heart fails, his flesh fails, then is the only time for God strength to ap­pear in his weakness, this is the way of living by [Page 164] faith, and the way which Gods believing children have been carryed: therefore we find Jonah when (in his own sense) he was cast out of Gods sight, then he resolved to look towards Gods holy Tem­ple, and cryed to God out of the belly of Hell, as in Jonah 2. therefore surely this objection hath no weight in it.

Object. But some other soul may say, I grant the practice of baptism to be an Ordinance of God, and the way of such Churches, that walk under the baptism of believers to be that only justifiable practice in the Gos­pel, and could willingly walk with them and be bapti­zed, were it not for their rigidness, in that they will have no Communion with any (though godly) that are not baptized.

Answ. To this I answer by way of distinction between Church-union and Communion, and per­sonal Union and Communion. Now if we find a soul not baptized, nor joined to any Church, and happily ignorant of baptism, yet if I have ground in my own heart, to judge that soul to be godly, and not an enemy to the truth, and Gospel of Christ but a soul willing to hear and learn what truth God shall further reveal unto him, and so having ground to judge such a soul to have union and personal communion with the Lord, in such a case I ought to immitate the Lord in owning a Communion with such a Christian, in like manner, as for Exam­ple.

Cornelius and his family, having a personal uni­on with the Lord and communion with him, before Peter preached to him, and he not being an obsti­nate [Page 165] professed enemy against any Law of Christ; but contrarywise saying to Peter, We are here to hear what soever is commanded thee of God.

Therefore the Spirit of God falling down up­on them, they spake with new tongues, and glo­rified God, and Peter and the six baptized Brethren being with them, no question did join in Spirit, and heart, in that present Spiritual service, which Cornelius and his family did perform to God, they none of them at that interim of time, being baptized nor convinced that baptism was an Or­dinance of God: For till Peter had consulted with the Brethren, he did not press baptism upon them. And therefore we find that he did instruct them, after a consultation which he had with the Brethren, saying, How should we forbid water, that these should not be baptized, that have received the Holy Ghost as well as we.

And Paul in like manner, between the time that Christ had converted him, and his comming to Annanias prayed; and we find God owns a per­sonal Communion with him in that prayer; for Christ speaking to Annanias saith, That Paul was a chosen Vessel, for behold he now prayeth, manifesting that he owned Paul in that service.

Now he being in a teachable godly frame (though ignorant of baptism) in prayer God had Communion with him. In like manner I judge from these Scripture examples, it is lawful for a bap­tized person to have fellowship in prayer or speak­ing with any such soul which he is perswaded of to be godly, and that is not a professed enemy to any command of God.

[Page 166]But God hath not, as we find, ever had any Church-union or Communion with any Soul, that was unbaptized; and it is clear that the Ordinance of the Supper is committed to a Church, yea to a Ministerial Assembly, gathered according to Christs Commission. Mat. 28.19, 20. where I un­derstand the order there binding is this: First the Ministers should teach the Nations, or make them disciples by teaching; and then the command is, Baptizing them, what them? such that are made disciples by teaching. Thirdly, the Command is to teach them to observe, whatsoever Christ hath commanded, what them is here meant, but such as are made disciples and baptized, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you? and I will be with you to the end of the world, that is, he will be with a people, first converted, second­ly baptized, thirdly walking in the practical ob­servation of all other administrations of Gods house, as these eleven did, and those they conver­ted, I say, this his promise is to be with his people to the end of the World.

And this order is binding, that as a Minister is commanded to baptize one, made a Disciple, and not any other, so he is commanded to put them upon the practical observation of all his Laws, and they only, and till they are baptized, they are not, nor cannot be admitted into a visible Church, to partake of the Supper of the Lord.

And that this is the true meaning of Christ in the Commission appears, by his Apostles Ministry and practice, who by the infallible gifts of the ho­ly [Page 167] Ghost, were guided unfailingly thus to preach and practice, as in Acts 2.37, 38. with 41, and 42. verses. First he teacheth them the Doctrine of Je­sus Christ, they hearing that were pricked at the heart, and inquiring of Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, what they should do, he saith, Repent and be baptized every one of you. See how he presseth the same order here, as Christ doth in the Com­mission, and afterwards in the 41. verse, it is said, So many as gladly received the word of God, were bap­tized, and the same day there was added to the Church about three thousand souls, by Faith and Baptism, and they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellow­ship, in breaking of Bread and prayer.

Therefore the way that Christ hath ordained, is, That souls should be joined or added to the Church by Faith and Baptism, according to that word in 1 Cor. 12.13. We are all baptized by one Spi­rit into one body.

Now though the Spirit (as the inward thing sig­nified) be here spoken of, yet the outward sign is also included, as might be by other Scriptures cleared. Thus Cornelius his Family were conver­ted, then baptized, before they were constituted a Church.

So the Gaolers and Lydia's, and the Church of Samaria in Acts 8. were all gathered by faith and dipping. And for a Minister to gather a Church a­ny other way is to go, not only in an untroden path, but cross and point-blank contrary to the do­ctrine and practice of the Apostles, & therby sligh­ting the Rules of Christ in the Commission, by [Page 168] which the Apostles Doctrine and practice was gui­ded, and which all the Ministers of the Gospel ought to be guided by.

Why the Or­dinance of Baptism is ad­ministred but once, the Or­dinance of the Lords Supper often.But yet further, the Ordinance of baptism is to confirm our Regeneration, New birth, and Uni­on with Christ in his death, burial and resurrecti­on, Rom. 6.3, 4 5. with Col. 2.12. Tit. 3.5. and ther­fore is to be received but once, as a man is to be re­generated but once, and born but once; and chan­ged from death to life but once, but that ordi­nance of God, viz. the Supper is for Christians growth, and increase of grace, and of constant use, to shew forth Christs death till he come, and there­fore to be received often.

Now it must needs be a prof [...]nation of this or­dinance of God, to divert and cross the order, and so the special intendment of God in them; and that is, to admit persons to that Ordinance, which is principally for Christian growth before you have admitted them to that Ordinance, which is for planting them into Christ, signifying the confirmation or washing of Regeneration, and the new birth and Union with Christ the true stock and root from whence all spiritual growth is to be expected.

Therefore Baptism must be the first Ordinance dispensed or administred after conversion, before the Supper. So that it would be a profanation of the Ordinances of God to divert their proper or­der, end and use, to which our holy and jealous God hath appointed them; and it is a tender point for those that profess themselves friends to Christ, [Page 169] the Bridegroom, to be venturing to take his pecu­liar privilege or prerogative, out of his hands, as to order and dispose of his own order in his solemn worship, contrary to his Commission.

I do judge such a man that hath not a tender conscience in such cases, is in that much unlike Christ, and shewes much carnality, because, as you have heard, God will have the honor to direct his people, both for the matter and manner of their worship, and order of his house.

But again as you have heard before, in Ephes. 4.3,What things are essential to a Particular visible Church. 4. there is by the Apostle mentioned these things that are essential to a particular visible Church-u­nion, which are these,

First, to be all called into one hope of our calling; which the poor children which some admit into their society by sprinkling, are not called to the same hope that believers are called into.

Againe, One Body, one Spirit, one Faith, one Lord, and one Baptism, one God and Father of us all.

Now it is impossible, that a people should walk together acceptably, that have not one hope of one and the same glorious Inheritance, and that have not one and the same Spirit and assistance and guideance in his holy worship, and that have not one and the same faith, but in the doctrine of faith do mainly differ one from another, and it is an essential difference, inconsistent with Com­munion, that the members of one Church should own two Baptisms, the sprinkling of Infants, and dipping of Believers; and this Ordinance of bap­tism is one of the essentials of a true visible Church.

[Page 170]And lastly, they are to own one God and Fa­ther of all; Here you have from this Text a ground why such as are not inlightned in the Lords baptism cannot be admitted into Church-fellowship; because in one and the same Fellow­ship, there is to be owned as one Hope, one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, so one and the same Baptism.

Again the main end of Church fellowship, is, That they there do practice whatsoever Christ hath commanded, as you have heard before in Mat. 28.20. and as Cornelius saith in Acts 10. We are here (saith he) to hear whatsoever it commanded thee of God; and saith Christ, Ye are my freinds if you do whatsoever I have commanded you.

And this is without doubt, that the true and lawfull Ministry in Christs Church, is to see that all the members practice the observation of whatsoe­ver he hath commanded; and so to see all the Laws of Christ put in execution. For that cause hath Christ given into his Church, not only the key of doctrine, but also the key of Discipline, that if any soul in a Church shall be known, wittingly or willingly, to neglect any duty that the Lord hath commanded by his holy word, especially a fun­damental Ordinance of the New Testament, as is Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, it is with­out all question, that such a soul, standing out in that disobedience, ought to be cast out of the Church speedily for the same, without which the Church allowing or conniving at, or tolerating a [...]oul in one course of known disobediēce, do therby [Page 171] make the sin their own, the whole people be­comming really guilty of his sin and impiety. And as the Apostle saith, Thus will the whole Lump be lea­vened, and that Church unchurched.

Amongst men he that concealeth murther, and is privy and consenting to it, and will agree to tolerate it, is reckoned a murtherer; in like manner in the case of theft. Now the main end of Church fellowship and Ministerial power is to destroy sin, and to execute the power of Christ against it, and not to be fosterers and Countenancers of sin, which you are if you agree to admit any person into your fellowship that refuseth to submit to Baptism, that plain solemn Ordinance of the New Testament, let his pretence be what it will be; that person that is not brought over to yield obedience to whatsoe­ver Christ hath commanded, is not (while so diso­bedient) fit matter for a visible Gospel Church, e­specially in those his fundamental Ordinances, as Prayer, Hearing, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, Thanksgiving, Contribution to the necessity of the Saints, and maintenance of an official Mi­nistery according to the ability that God gives them; and by the same rule, and upon the same ground that you will tolerate some members in the Church to live in the neglect of baptism, you must tolerate such as neglect to hear the word, and others that will not, according to abilitie, contri­bute to pious charitable uses; and others that will not pray in half a year or at twelve moneth toge­ther, under the pretence they are not moved to that duty; and others that will in a gross manner [Page 172] neglect the duty of particular callings or relations, which the Apostle in Thessal. 2. doth give rule to be withdrawn from, which is as the rest but the neglect of duty; nay this practice lays a foundati­on for all disobedience, and for gathering an As­sembly of Rebels, let me alone in my sin, and I will let thee alone in thine.

But may some say, is a godly mans omitting to be baptized or dipped a sin? Yes, certainly it is, for 1 Joh. 3.6. the Apostle saith, sin is a transgression of the Law.

Now you have heard several Laws of the New Testament do command that such as believe and repent should be baptized; therefore to neg­lect, is a transgression of those Laws; and sincere obedience, is universal obedience, by this saith David, I know I shall not be ashamed when I have re­spect to all thy Commandments.

But further consider, if you receive a person in­to Communion,Unbaptized persons not to be admit­ted into Church fel­lowship. that doth not submit to the Lords baptism, that soul justifies still a corrupt baptism that he had in his infancy, and consequently is not ashamed of all he hath done amiss, which Ezekiel speaks of, but still stands in fellowship and Com­munion with a Church and Ministry, which by the Bishops power dispensed the same, and you recei­ving such a soul into Communion, receive that Church and Ministery, from which he had his sup­posed baptism, and must certainly own all those Churches which that Ministery stood in fellowship with, that so baptized him; therefore it is a sad and serious matter, who it is that is admitted in­to [Page 173] fellowship in the true Church of Christ, and I would admonish souls to be careful that they do what they do in good order; for God it is said made a breach upon Ʋzzah because he did not do what he did in due order.

Object. But some may say, Faith in Christ brings a soul into Son-ship, and so to a right in all the privile­ges in Gods house.

Answ. Its true, Faith and Repentance doth in­title a soul; but repentance according to the Gospel is a change of the heart, & a resolution to obey God in all his Commandments, such a Repentance on­ly the Church of Christ ought to own, in those Members they receive. And therefore though they ought to receive the weak in faith, yet they have no rule to receive them but by faith and bap­tism. So that though faith gives an interest to bap­tism, yet faith and baptism, are to prepare and fit a soul for Communion. So many as gladly received the word, were baptized, and the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand souls, and they continued in the Apostles doctrine, and fellowship, in breaking of bread and prayer:

So here you see the word of Christ our Lord (unto whom we ought to submit) that those on­ly who were Baptized were admitted into the fel­lowship of the Saints and to breaking of bread, and therefore we upon these grounds, may not admit any member in communion into the church of Christ but by baptism.

But some may object and say, There are many godly [Page 174] souls that do think they are baptized already in their infancy. And till they be convinced of that error, can­not you have Church Communion with them?

To this I answer, I dare not say, but precious souls to God, in these times as well as formerly, may be (in that point) in darkness; I do not censure the case of such. But sure I am, that if they judge their own baptism or sprinkling in their Infancy to be an Ordinance of God, they cannot but judge it a duty still to practice the same upon their own Infants, being faithful to their principle; and then how can a church and true Ministry that judges dipping of believers a duty, and the other to be a grievous and provoking sin, admit such a person into Communion that resolves to live not only in the neglect of a Solemn duty, but in a great and heinous sin, in the judgement of that Church and Ministery, that is to admit him, which the justify­ing of his Baptism must needs be?

Wherfore hath Christ set up in his Gospel church his Ordinance of Excommunication or casting forth out of the Church, if that persons may be admitted that are resolved to live in both a sin of omission and commission, and such as have not re­pented of that sin of sprinkling children?

So then, that person that lives impenitently in any one known sin (known I mean to the Church) if that Church have communion with that person in that sin, the sin becomes the churches sin.

Obj. But he liveth in this sin through ignorance.

Answ. That we presuppose, or else the Scripture would [...]end us little hopes of charity, as to his [Page 175] good estate. For to knnow a sin to be a sin, and to live in it, doubtless it cannot stand with grace; therefore it is generally concluded that the con­tempt of any Ordinance of God is damnable, but not the simple neglect of it, being upon scruples or doubts of conscience unanswered; but the church knows it to be a sin, and therefore they are not to have communion with it.

Object. But may some say, I am afraid some per­sons do rest in Ordinances, and place that in them which is due to Christ only, which is some offence to me, and hath kept me off from that practice.

Answ. There is no sound ground for this objecti­on from either our profession or practice; for we do profess salvation, justification and the spiritu­al welfare to be meerly of the grace of God in Christ, and that by faith only; and that our obedi­ence to Christ ought to be performed from a prin­ciple of Regeneration and union with Christ by faith; and answerable is our practice▪ in that we dare not put any soul on obedience, but from that root. For before we baptize any soul, we prove whether a true work of conversion be wrought in his heart or no; and whether he have union with Christ, and dare not admit children, because that we judge that they have not a principle of Christ in them, from whence they should submit to baptism.

And further let me say, tha [...] it is easie for a soul to forbear resting in duties, that doth not perform them. But that which is worthy in a Christian, is to walk as strictly in obedience to all the commands of God, as though he would be saved by his obedi­ence, [Page 176] and to rest as fully upon Christ and his blood, and the love of God therein revealed, as if he had done nothing at all; accounting himself an un­profitable servant. And whereas you say you fear they rest in duties; that fear and jealousie in you (I fear) is your sin, and possibly may flow from that inbred enmity and prejudice that is apt to be in e­very mans heart against the pure waies of God. Or else it proceeds from the malice of the Devil sug­gesting such thoughts into thy heart; For thou en­trest into the hearts of such people, and judgest their very intents in this thy fear and jealousy, and therefore beware of this snare.

But further, suppose some souls should be so far left of God, that walk in the practice of Ordinan­ces, as to rest in them, is that a ground for thee to excuse thee, to live in a sinful neglect of them? In a word, there can be no objection come into thy heart, tending to hinder thee from this duty, and to keep thee from thy obedience to thy Lord and King, but it must needs be from the flesh or from the Devil, and therefore beware of them. Suppose thy judgement inclined to such a Latitude, as that thou couldst have communion with unbaptized persons; consider with a tender conscience what hath been said, and I hope it may much satisfy thee in that objection.

But suppose thou shouldst not be satisfied with what hath been said; but still judge that thy liber­ty; thou canst not but say its clear in the new Te­stament, and out of doubt, that such believing and being baptized ought to have Church fel­lowship [Page 177] together with the practice of Ordinances; and is that a justifiable argument to keep thee off from communion with such, as (out of doubt) thou maiest, according to rule, have communion with, and further that thou canst not but say, is thy duty to have communion with?The Com­mands of Christ must not be dispu­ted.

Therefore I would in all tenderness admonish and warn all that fear God, to be more conforma­ble and observe the rules of Christ, and not to harbour such a gross error in thy mind, as to think thou mayst at thy pleasure dispute the commands and Ordinances of Christ.

The Apostle Paul in Gal. 1.16. saith, He conferred not with flesh and blood, but he presently obeyed the heavenly voice. And Christ when God by his Spirit directed him to go to the Doctors in the Temple, to hear them, and ask them questions, he without so much as acquainting his Father or Mother, o­beyed the Lord, though to their great grief and trouble in going. And then in Phil. 2.14. our o­bedience should be without murmuring, repining or any more ado, and Luke 5.5. Peter had been fish­ing all night and caught nothing, therefore had little hopes to catch any fish, yet saith he, At thy word I will cast down my net; he did not dispute the commands of Christ; though his own experience and skill did utterly testify against what Christ had commanded, as to sense, that there could be no good effect produced, yet at thy word, saith he, I will cast in my net. As David in Psalm 119. I made hast to keep thy righteouss precepts; for delay­ing of obedience doth harden the heart, and give [Page 178] place to the tempter: and therefore I would ad­vice all godly souls to drink in this as a Maxim, that if you find an express Law of Christ given to a believer, that it is utterly unlawful to dispute or to question the practice of it upon any pretence whatsoever, or to admit any objection against it; For amongst men both in Civil and Military Au­thority, they will not have their Laws disputed, who may err greatly in making those Laws. But our righteous God (whose Laws be sure are just) will not have his disputed; and therefore, as before, when Christ bid Peter cast down his Net into the Sea, saith he, I have been all night and catched no­thing, yet notwithstanding at thy word I will cast down my net. Where observe, though what Christ commanded him, his skill, experience and reason might have strongly objected against, yet he lear­ned this, that there could not be any justifyable ground to bear him out in disputing Christs Laws.

And thus you have an example in Abraham in sacrificing Isaac, who was the promised seed, And when God called him, he followed God, not know­ing whether he went; And Noah when he built an Ark for the saving of his house; And Jacob upon the command of God, carrying away his family three daies journey before Laban, and the family knew of it. There might have been much dispute against these things, but these holy men of God had learned not to give place to the pride and re­bellion of their unmortified reason and understan­ding which many souls, for want of more grace and soundness of judgement, give way to, in our [Page 179] days; but they did obey the word of Gods cōmand without any more a do, as the Apostles rule is, Phil. [...].12, 13, 14, 15. Wherefore my Beloved, as you have alwaies obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own sal­vation, with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his own good plea­sure; Do all thinks without murmurings and dispu­tings, that you may be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and per­verse nation, amongst whom you shine as Lights in the world.